- The fighting between forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and rebels continues, with reports of battles centring mainly on the coastal strip between the rebel-held oil town of Ras Lanuf and the Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte to the west.
- Early on Sunday, Libyan state TV claimed that Col Gaddafi's forces had made big gains against rebel forces, taking back Zawiya, Ras Lanuf, Misrata and even Tobruk in the far east. It said gunfire ringing out across the capital Tripoli was celebratory
- But correspondents on the ground questioned those claims, with BBC reporters confirming that Ras Lanuf and Tobruk remained in rebel hands
- You can also follow events on
BBC Arabic
- Live page reporters: Becky Branford, Zoe Murphy, Michael Hirst and Patrick Jackson
- All times in GMT
2100 We're going to close down our minute-by-minute coverage of the crisis in Libya for the night. Thanks for following the latest developments with the BBC. It's been a day of intensified fighting in Libya, with forces loyal to Col Gaddafi mounting strong counter-attacks against rebel-controlled areas. As things stand, there appears to be a stalemate, with government forces in control of the west of the country, while the mood among the rebels in control of much of the east remains grim, but defiant. If you'd like to check on the latest until we start our live coverage again on Monday, there will be regular updates
on the BBC website.
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2058
Libyafreedomnew
tweets: "revolutionaries in Misrata have cleaned up the streets of the city after the battles that took place there today and were won by them."
2054 In a telephone interview with BBC World News, Misrata resident Mohammed says that rebel forces in the city defeated pro-Gaddafi troops in Sunday's fighting, and that those defending the city will fight "to the last man and the last bullet".
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2051 Shadi Hamid, Director of Research at the Brookings Doha Center
tweets:
"Rebels are also calling for no-fly zone so we agree on that. Foreign strikes may be needed to take out Qaddafi air defenses"
2047 The UN has demanded "urgent access" to the rebel city of Misrata, which has come under heavy shelling by government forces and where a UN envoy said the "injured and dying" needed immediate help, AFP reports.
2044 Mr Straw defends the UK government's policy in recent years of rehabilitating Col Gaddafi, telling Newshour that had it not done so he might now be in charge of an arsenal of chemical weapons.
2040 Mr Straw describes Col Gaddafi's claims that al-Qaeda may be behind the Libyan uprising as "nonsense", saying the rebel forces are "internal and secular".
2037 Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw tells the BBC's Newshour programme that enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya may be counter-productive, as any international military action may have "unintended consequences", in terms of possible civilian casualties, and entrenching Col Gaddafi's leadership.
2031 For some of the latest images from the ground in Libya
have a flick through our picture gallery.
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2029 Ibn Omar
tweets:
"#tripoli: shootings starting up again. sounds of running and gunfire near #greensquare area. #libya"
2025 The BBC's Wyre Davies in Tripoli says Libya's official media are in a belligerent mood, claiming the foreign media is spreading false reports about the strength of rebel fighters, and suggesting government forces are in control of much more of the country than western news outlets are reporting.
2020 In the east, troops backed by helicopter gunships have attacked the coastal towns of Bin Jawad and Ras Lanuf, recently captured by the rebels. In the west, some of the heaviest fighting was in the city of Misrata, some 200km from the capital, Tripoli. Residents say government troops forced their way into the city centre using tanks and artillery, but were then pushed out again by the rebels.
2019 Thanks for following the latest developments from Libya with the BBC. A quick update of major events on Sunday: Forces loyal to Col Gaddafi have mounted strong counter-offensives as they try to retake opposition-controlled areas.
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2013 Libyan TNC, which describes itself as the account of the Libyan Interim Transitional National Council,
tweets:
"The Council asked the UN to acceptance of Mr Shalegm as libya's representative at the international organisation #libya"
2001"Insane." That's how US Senator John McCain described Col Gaddafi
in an interview for ABC News.
He also advocated a no-fly zone and a US declaration of support for the rebel government.
1956The rebels defending Bin Jawad would certainly welcome an international no-fly zone. "We only want planes, but we want nothing else," one told the Associated Press. "They should only come in with planes, but we don't want them to come into our country with troops on the ground." Another said: "We ask European countries for just one thing: to enforce a no-fly zone and block passage by sea. That's it. We only ask for this."
1952Nineteen people including a two-year-old girl were killed by Gaddafi forces at Misrata today, an eyewitness called Mohamed told the BBC. The fighting lasted nine hours, he said. Government forces finally "ran away like rats, leaving behind their jeeps and armoured vehicles".
1939"Lots of people throw around phrases like no-fly zone - they talk about it as though it's just a video game," William M Daley, the new White House chief of staff, said
in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" TV news programme.
1936With regard to the Arab League, Col Gaddafi has certainly enlivened proceedings at its summits over the years. In March 2003, he denounced Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah as an American ally and sympathiser just as the US prepared to invade Iraq. Two years later, he managed to insult both the Israelis and Palestinians, calling them "idiots" - the Israelis for neglecting the West Bank for 20 years after they established a state, and the Palestinians for failing to establish a state during that time.
1930One of the rebels fighting on the outskirts of Bin Jawad has this message for Col Gaddafi: "This dog, this tyrant, we want him to hear us, this tyrant. God willing, we will not leave him, we are going to kill him. We are coming for him."
1926Amr Moussa, head of the Arab League, has called on Col Gaddafi to begin "immediately" a "process of reconciliation with his people" if he wants to stay in power. Speaking to French media, he added: "But I do not think the people will let that happen, and that's sad."
1921The government has not used the full strength of its military so far, the BBC's Wyre Davies reports from Tripoli. Certainly heavy tanks and artillery have been used but it seems the main tactic for now is to encircle rebel-held towns and cut them off, as at Zawiya.
1903More on what French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has been saying in Cairo. Col Gaddafi's handling of the revolt was "criminal folly", he declared. But speaking to the French community in Egypt, he added that "any Western military intervention in Libya... would have absolutely negative effects".
1859 Libyan state television cites military sources as saying that rebels are holding civilians as human shields in residential quarters of some cities, although the report does not identify which cities it is referring to.
1855 In the tape, which officials in London will not comment on and which cannot be independently confirmed, the rebel spokesmen says the British team made "a big mistake" by landing in a helicopter in an open area under the cover of darkness. Despite the failure of the mission, UK officials have said that efforts to reach out to opposition groups are likely to continue - although our security correspondent, Gordon Corera, says the manner of the arrival of any future team might be expected to be different.
1850 In a further embarrassing development for the British diplomatic effort in Libya, Libyan State television has broadcast what appears to be a covertly taped telephone conversation between the British ambassador to Libya - Richard Northern, who is currently in London - and a spokesmen for leading opposition figure Mustafa Abdul al-Jalil, in which the diplomat appears to try and explain what happened.
1845 Have you had any experience of the unrest sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East? What are your thoughts on the response of the countries' leaders, and the wider international community? Send us a text, email or tweet, and we'll publish what we can.
Have Your Say
1840 Men in plain clothes armed with knives were reportedly involved in the attacks on Egyptian pro-democracy activists outside Cairo's interior ministry.
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1833 But tensions remain high in Egypt, as suggested by
these two tweets
from Sandmonkey, a blogger in Cairo: "The army is shooting in the air at the protesters and Elsayedah people are throwing molotov at them from other side. Thugs came running at us, we started running away from bulletfire.#jan25 #amndawla"
1830 Egypt's secret police, known as the State Security Investigation Police, was feared and hated. Dismantling the organisation has been one of the key demands of the protest movement that ousted Mr Mubarak after 18 days of street demonstrations.
1826 While the world's attention has been focussed on the dramatic news coming out of Libya, in neighbouring Egypt the protest movement that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down last month has dealt what may turn out to be the knock-out blow to his regime. Within the past 48 hours Egyptian protesters have stormed the headquarters of the secret police in Cairo, Alexandria and elsewhere.
1820 Speaking in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI has appealed for peace in Libya, extending his prayers for the victims of a "growing humanitarian crisis". As well as casualties of the fighting, concerns are growing for tens of thousands of foreign workers attempting to flee the country. Earlier today, three Bangladeshis died and 16 are still missing after they jumped off a ship which had just evacuated them from Libya.
1817 In other political developments, UK Prime Minister David Cameron told a Conservative party conference in Cardiff that it was time for Col Gaddafi to step down. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, speaking on a visit to neighbouring Egypt, said any international military intervention in Libya would have "absolutely negative" effects.
1814 Described by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague as "a small diplomatic team", the British men were detained when they were found with guns, explosives, maps and passports from four countries. Mr Hague said they had tried to initiate contacts with the rebel leadership, but experienced difficulties and had now left the country.
1810 Meanwhile, an eight-strong British team, thought to include members of the special forces, has left Libya by warship after being detained by rebel forces. Witnesses said the group landed by helicopter overnight on Friday near the eastern city of Benghazi - a rebel stronghold.
1808 In the east, troops backed by helicopter gunships have attacked the coastal towns of Bin Jawad and Ras Lanuf, recently captured by the rebels. In the west, some of the heaviest fighting was in the city of Misrata, some 200km from the capital, Tripoli. Residents say government troops forced their way into the city centre using tanks and artillery, but were then pushed out again by the rebels.
1805 Thanks for following the latest breaking news from Libya with the BBC. If you've just joined us, here's a brief summary of today's developments: Forces loyal to Col Gaddafi have mounted strong counter-offensives as they try to retake opposition-controlled areas.
1758The BBC's John Simpson says we were driving close to Bin Jawad, where the fighting is concentrated, when two big mortar bombs landed quite nearby. The rebels don't seem so enthusiastic and excitable any more. Their mood is grimmer and more determined now.
1752The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi says the British diplomatic incident is "an embarrassing miscalculation by the British government, obviously unaware of the reaction likely to be provoked in this tense situation by a group of armed men arriving on a helicopter in the dead of night".
1741The Press Association reports that the British diplomatic team detained in Benghazi is now on board the British warship HMS Cumberland bound for Malta.
1737 Libya's rebel council tells a news conference in Benghazi that all cities in the east of the country remain liberated, Reuters reports.
1734In a statement William Hague said: "I can confirm that a small British diplomatic team has been in Benghazi. The team went to Libya to initiate contacts with the opposition. They experienced difficulties, which have now been satisfactorily resolved. They have now left Libya. We intend, in consultation with the opposition, to send a further team to strengthen our dialogue in due course. This diplomatic effort is part of the UK's wider work on Libya, including our ongoing humanitarian support. We continue to press for Gaddafi to step down and we will work with the international community to support the legitimate ambitions of the Libyan people."
1731British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirms that a diplomatic team has left Libya after experiencing "difficulties" that have "now been satisfactorily resolved".
1716Libya's rebel-appointed council says its forces in Zawiya and Misrata have fought off Col Gaddafi's troops and that the cities are "liberated", Reuters reports.
1707The US and its allies should plan for a no-fly zone over Libya, US Democratic Senator John Kerry told CBS television, saying that it should not go into operation without an international agreement. He said he didn't see a no-fly zone as stepping over the line into military intervention.
1653There has been an interesting development following reports that a group of British special forces has been detained in eastern rebel-held Libya. The country's state TV has broadcast what it claims is a telephone conversation between Richard Northern, the British ambassador to Libya - who left the country last week - and a spokesman for one of the key rebel leaders based in Benghazi. The conversation appears to be an attempt by the British to secure the release of eight people, including six believed to be members of the British Special Forces, detained in Benghazi. Britain's Foreign Office said it was aware of the alleged conversation but was not commenting further.
1634A doctor at a hospital in Misrata tells Reuters that at least 18 people have been killed in fighting between rebels and government forces there, with many wounded.
1604The US may have missed an opportunity to oust Col Gaddafi by "dragging its feet" on helping rebels in the first weeks of Libya's uprising, Libya's former immigration minister Ali Errishi tells CNN talk show, State of the Union.
1557A resident in Misrata gives more details to Reuters of the rebels' success in driving back government forces saying: "The revolutionaries captured 20 soldiers and seized a tank. The town is now fully in the control of the youths."
1553The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office says HMS Cumberland has now left Benghazi.
1549
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Ahmed in Zawiya writes: "We see Gaddafi forces here patrolling the city and are afraid to move out of the house. We can still hear some gunfire in the neighbourhood. Only God can help us."
1533 Now Reuters is quoting a resident of Misrata as saying the rebels have repelled an attack by regime forces on the town.
1522And
LibyaInMe
also tweets: "CONFIRMED: #Gaddafi's men backed out of Misrata. 10 killed incl. a 2 yr. 10 of Gaddafi's men have been detained. #feb17 #libya."
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1520
LibyanYouthMovement
tweets: "We are getting reports from Misrata that the city is free and they have captured some of the pro gaddafi forces #Libya #Feb17."
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1508
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"Reading the papers and the blogs on Libya this week, I find myself increasingly going against the liberal bien-pensant grain,"
writes UK blogger Brian Barder.
For example, "I strongly disagree with the widespread sentiment voiced in last week's Observer editorial that 'doing nothing is not an option.' On the contrary: not only is 'doing nothing' very much an option: it's probably the only sensible option."
1455 There has been a sudden, worrying drop in the number of foreign workers crossing into Tunisia from Libya, the UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has told Reuters in an interview. "Two days ago there were 10,000 or 11,000 people coming across," he said. "Yesterday there were only 1,863 people... Something has happened." The UN has speculated that they may be trapped or prevented from reaching the Tunisian border.
1443 Hot off the press,
here
is the full story from the BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Tripoli.
1432 Rebels in east Libya have regrouped and are moving back towards Bin Jawad after forces loyal to Col Gaddafi ambushed and ejected them from the town earlier in the day, a witness just outside Bin Jawad told Reuters. "There's a steady stream of rebels heading back west towards Bin Jawad."
1428 The UK Prime Minister David Cameron has told a party conference that the UK will continue to intensify pressure on the Libyan regime, ensure crimes against humanity are punished, and provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the crisis. "And we will continue to plan, with our allies, for every eventuality... It is time for Col Gaddafi to go," Mr Cameron said.
1417 A Libyan expat who lives in Wales tells the BBC he spoke to his mother in Zawiya on Saturday night. The city was under rebel control but surrounded by pro-Gaddafi forces, he said, who were using heavy artillery and "shooting randomly at peaceful protesters and innocent people on the streets, in what they call daily 'hit and run' attacks. Two of my cousins were shot yesterday. One of them is OK but we remain worried about the other one. Two teenagers were also reportedly chased by pro-Gaddafi thugs and hanged in public - just as an example, to put fear into the hearts of the city's people."
1412 The White House says tapping into strategic oil reserves is one option being considered to ease soaring energy prices, reports Reuters.
1406 Military intervention in Libya would have "negative" effects, the French foreign minister says according to AFP.
1405 The Red Cross and the United Arab Emirates plan to build two new camps on Tunisia's border with Libya in anticipation of a fresh arrival of refugees, an aid official tells AFP.
1401 Libyan official media are continuing to paint a rosy picture of the support enjoyed by Col Gaddafi, reports BBC Monitoring, while denouncing the "conspiracy" hatched against Libya's stability and security, and intensifying their attacks against foreign media, particularly al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya TV channels.
1357 We haven't seen Col Gaddafi for a few days, but he has been speaking to the French newspaper le Journal du Dimanche. In an
interview that was published today, titled "Gaddafi: 'It's me or al-Qaeda'"
he expresses his concern that he's not getting international support for what he described as his fight against terrorism.
1348 Volleys of gunfire are still hammering around Tripoli, says the BBC's Jeremy Bowen there. But he says there are questions being asked in Tripoli about the thousands of rounds that have been fired today. "Now, in daylight, it's clear that it is coming from Gaddafi supporters... But before dawn it sounded different, more like a fight. That's how it sounded. Different sorts of guns appeared to be exchanging fire. And later on, a Libyan man came up to me to say that there had been some sort of shootout going on, and the mass firing in the air and the celebrations had been started to cover it up."
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1338
Comedian Andy Borowitz
tweets: "The new status symbol in Hollywood is how much money you gave back to #Gaddafi."
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1333
robwinder
tweets: "UK now in tricky position. Talked about arming rebels before SAS soldiers were captured by them. Can hardly ask Gaddafi for help."
1315 AP summarises what its reporters have seen of the fierce fighting between Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad: "The reporters witnessed air attacks by helicopters on the rebel forces and heavy fighting on the ground. A warplane also attacked a small military base at Ras Lanuf and destroyed three hangars and a small building. Regime forces shelled rebel positions at Ras Lanuf with rockets and artillery."
1305 On the detained UK special forces, a source in the rebel movement in Benghazi tells Reuters he expects the situation to be resolved soon. "They are safe and in good hands. We do not know why they [the British government] did not get in touch first or [detail] the purpose of their mission."
1259 The UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague has told the BBC the possibility of implementing a no-fly zone over Libya was still being considered: "Let me stress, that is contingency planning. Any implementation of a no-fly zone would have to be legal, it would have to have strong international support, of course... so that we will be ready if Col Gaddafi turns even more vengefully on his own people and uses air power... against civilians on a large scale."
1255 More reports that pro-Gaddafi forces have been shelling the centre of Misrata, this time from witnesses talking to AP. They said the shelling ceased by early afternoon.
1230The BBC's John Simpson in Ras Lanuf says a helicopter from Col Gaddafi's airforce has flown over as though trying to work out the strength of the rebel defences. The rebels are experiencing a shortage of fuel. All of this increases their anxiety, he says.
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1221The BBC's Andrew Neil
tweets:
"Buried at bottom of page 24 of Sunday Times amazing details of Gaddafi's attempt to torpedo QE2. Saved by Sadat!"
1218The BBC's John Simpson in Ras Lanuf says rebel troops are heading westwards and are about 45km west of Ras Lanuf but he says they are running into stiffer resistance than they were expecting and have experienced so far. Col Gaddafi's TV service claims that his men have re-captured Ras Lanuf but this is clearly not true, our correspondent says.
1209A local doctor in Misrata tells the BBC that four government tanks have entered the city firing on people indiscriminately - even shooting at an ambulance. He says the situation is "very bad"; at least three people are dead and scores more have been injured - he says people are being treated for gunshot wounds to the arms, shoulders and legs.
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1202The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office tweets via @britishabroad: HMS Cumberland in Benghazi harbour, able to take British/EU nationals. Due to leave at dusk 6 March.
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1159Ali writes: "I live near Benghazi and I went there on the day it fell into the hands of its people. It was deadly calm, nothing could be heard but ambulances that were taking hundreds of dead and wounded to hospitals (only two). We are now waiting for the UN and the Security Council to intervene in order to stop Gaddafi's killing machine."
Have Your Say
1155The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, confirms to the BBC that a "small British diplomatic team" is in the Libyan city of Benghazi talking to rebels.
1150Libyan government forces are attacking the rebel-held town of Misrata using tanks and artillery, destroying everything in their path as they try to reach the town's centre, a resident tells Reuters by telephone.
1145The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi says he has spoken to local people about the reported arrest of six men, presumed to be British special forces. Eyewitnesses say the men were challenged by Libyan guards and asked if they had weapons; their bags were found to contain arms, ammunition, explosives, maps and passports from at least four different nationalities. The witnesses said at that point they were arrested and taken to an army base in Benghazi where they are being held by rebels who control the area. Local people say the men have not been harmed and negotiations are going on with London to resolve the situation.
1131In Yemen - also the scene of ongoing civil unrest - an anti-government protest camp south of the capital is attacked by government loyalists, with several people critically injured, Reuters reports.
1126A Ukrainian nurse who worked for Col Gaddafi for over two years is secretly filmed by a Ukrainian journalist as saying that the Libyan leader is in good health and is a "great psychologist", Reuters reports.
1121Libyan rebels are committed to all oil supply contracts, a member of the rebel-appointed council tells al-Arabiya TV.
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1116Pro-Gaddafi supporter Salah Elwafi: "This morning was the "morning of victory" as described by Libyan TV. I woke up to heavy, sustained gunfire ringing out in all parts of Tripoli, but confusion reigned as to what prompted the shooting. It is clearly agreed and understood from the public and the government TV now that those shots were celebratory, marking the army's victory in the city of Zawiya and its presence in the oil towns of Ras Lanuf, Brega, Misrata as well as the port city of Tobruk. Almost half a million supporters are now in Green Square in the heart of Tripoli celebrating this victory."
Have Your Say
1113Pope Benedict XVI expresses his "great concern over the tensions in several African and Asian countries", particularly in Libya and Pakistan.
1109A rebel spokesman tells Reuters that all is quiet in Zawiya after fighting against government forces, in which two rebels were killed and many more injured.
1100In Bin Jawad, clashes between rebels and Gaddafi loyalists have killed two people and wounded at least 30, a doctor in a neighbouring town tells AFP.
1047 In Bahrain, thousands of Shia protesters descended on the prime minister's office in the capital Manama as he was hosting a weekly meeting of government ministers, AP reports, as demonstrators continue to press for change in the Gulf island kingdom.
1036 A rebel spokesman in Zawiya says rebels are still in control of the town centre, as an attack by pro-Gaddafi forces has been pushed back, reports Reuters.
1033 A rebel supporter in Misrata tells al-Jazeera English that his city is under attack by pro-Gaddafi ground forces from the east, west and south. He says rebels are holding them off but urges satellite companies to cut off broadcasts by state TV to block Col Gaddafi issuing instructions.
1029 Libyan rebel authorities have detained at least four British citizens in the eastern city of Benghazi, Arabic satellite network al-Jazeera reports.
1025 Another report, this time from AFP, that rebels have pulled back from Bin Jawad. At least 15 people were injured in the clashes with government forces there, it says.
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1017Marek Vermin
tweets:
"There is a direct relationship between the amount of oil an Arab regime has & the amount of people who will die in its hands. #Libya #Saudi"
1015 Libyan rebels say they have withdrawn from Bin Jawad, west of Ras Lanuf, after clashes, reports AP news agency.
1009 BBC journalists say they have just passed through Tobruk, in Libya's far east, and have seen no signs of pro-Gaddafi supporters. They have seen lots of aid vehicles.
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1006B Singh
tweets:
"If the west had not invaded Iraq and got rid of Saddam the way they did, I'm sure they'd be in Libya by now."
1005 Rebels have shot down a helicopter, Reuters reports, but the report does not say exactly where.
0957 A huge explosion has been heard in the rebel-held oil town of Ras Lanuf, followed by the sound of anti-aircraft guns opening fire, an AFP reporter says.
0956 Earlier on Sunday, in an "urgent" screen caption Libyan state TV announced major tax and duties breaks, to celebrate the "victories of the people over the gangs of saboteurs", BBC Monitoring reports.
0952 Libyan rebel forces are falling back to Ras Lanuf from positions further west, firing at a helicopter overhead, Reuters quotes a witness as saying. It follows reports that government forces had attacked rebels in Bin Jawad, west of Ras Lanuf.
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0949MAQAM
tweets:
"A complete internet and web blackout in #Libya making it very difficult for #Feb17 protesters to get information out."
0948 At least three Bangladeshi evacuees from Libya have died in Greek waters after jumping from ships that had been taking them to the Crete port of Souda. Another 28 were rescued and taken to hospital and officials suspect that others have gone missing. The men were probably attempting to enter the country clandestinely and avoid being sent back to Bangladesh, a Greek official said.
0941 The BBC's Nick Springate in Ras Lanuf says government forces have not come within 50km of the oil town since it was taken on Saturday. In the last few moments, rebel guns have been trying to target two fixed-wing planes flying overhead, he says.
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0938 There are some tweets critical of the report that eight UK special forces have been captured by rebels forces in eastern Libya. "If the UK wanted to contact the opposition, telephones are working," says
Libyan
, while
Reem Ali
tweets: "Now Libyan people will get blamed although they made it clear that they didn't want anybody to intervene."
0930 The BBC's Nick Springate in Ras Lanuf confirms the oil town is still in rebel hands.
0928 On the reports of the capture of UK special forces in eastern Libya, the UK Secretary of Defence Liam Fox tells the BBC that "a small British diplomatic team" is in Benghazi, but he will not elaborate.
0921 Ambulances are rushing casualties from Bin Jawad to Ras Lanuf, says Reuters. It comes after pro-Gaddafi forces reportedly attacked rebels in Bin Jawad - which is on the way from Ras Lanuf to the key Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte - with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
0917Libyan government jets are flying over the western city of Zawiya, sources tell Sky News.
0911 Libyan warplanes have launched airstrikes on a rebel force advancing toward Gaddafi's stronghold of Sirte, says AP. An AP TV crew witnessed the airstrikes.
0904 More than 2,300 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Libya in the preceding 24 hours, says a news release from the Indian foreign ministry. By late evening on Sunday it expects more than two-thirds of Indian expatriates will have been pulled out of Libya, totalling over 12,000.
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0900 Channel 4's Jonathan Rugman
tweets:
" Govt spokesman: 'we have recaptured every city in Libya with small pockets of resistance'. Urges us to see celebrations in Tripoli."
0858 AFP quotes medics in Bin Jawad as saying the clashes there have wounded at least 11, including a French photographer.
0856 Another Reuters report from Bin Jawad, where rebels have reportedly been attacked by pro-Gaddafi forces: "One fighter, returning wounded from the frontline town, said the Gaddafi loyalists had attacked with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Asked what he had seen, he replied: 'Death.' Distraught, he would not say any more."
0852 On Saturday, a 30-member National Libyan Council was formed in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi as a voice for the rebels. In an interview with the Arabic satellite station al-Jazeera picked up by BBC Monitoring, council member Abdallah Mayhub says they have decided to "establish a foreign policy apparatus that will address world states and local organizations" through a council member selected to be in charge of foreign affairs, who will start work next Sunday.
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0849 Feysal Temam
tweets:
"The more Gaddafi loses, the more he claims to gain, a typical dictators nature."
0845 Reuters reports that Libyan armed forces have attacked rebels in the east Libyan town of Bin Jawad.
0831 There has been another air raid on Ras Lanuf by Col Gaddafi's forces, says AFP.
0830 A Misrata resident who denies his city has fallen to pro-Gaddafi forces tells Reuters: "The town is fully in the control of the revolutionaries... But we heard shooting this morning near the airport and airbase. [Government] brigades are there but they are surrounded by revolutionaries. The brigades have been using random shooting to frighten people."
0826 In response to a newspaper report that a special forces unit of up to eight soldiers has been captured by rebels while on a secret mission to eastern Libya, the UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has told the BBC's 5live radio station that it is "perfectly possible" the British government would be attempting to build contacts with rebel forces there. But Mr Mitchell - who has just returned from the region himself - said:"We don't have a comment on special forces operations so I have nothing to add to that."
0819 A resident of Misrata has denied the claims by Libyan state TV that pro-Gaddafi forces have recaptured the city, says Reuters.
0817 The US government has issued a statement urging citizens not to travel to Yemen, and urging those already there to leave, says Reuters news agency. Washington says the security threat level in Yemen is "extremely high" due to militancy and civil unrest.
0812Professor Fawaz Gerges, from the London School of Economics, tells the BBC that Col Gaddafi has regained momentum and Libya now looks likely to face a very long struggle - probably of weeks or months. Col Gaddafi has only used a fraction of the massive firepower and military manpower available to him, Prof Gerges says, because he is worried about the international response. So this isn't really just an internal struggle, Prof Gerges says.
0806 The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi says the government claims to have recaptured Tobruk are outlandish and unbelievable, given that it is deep in rebel-held territory. Although he can't confirm the situation in Misrata and Zawiya, there have been ongoing battles in those cities and similar past claims by the government have been wrong. Most likely this is a propaganda operation to scare the rebels by making these claims and shooting in the streets of Tripoli, our correspondent says.
0758Two Bangladeshis died on Friday of heart attacks in Tunisia and Egypt, where they had taken shelter from the violence in Libya, reports Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper. It says Dhaka has requested the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to charter more flights to speed up the repatriation of expatriate Bangladeshis. It says the number of Bangladeshis who have crossed the border to Tunisia since Thursday has reached 15,000.
0744The UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague issues a statement: "Given the continued levels of illegitimate violence within Libya we call upon Colonel Gaddafi to put an immediate stop to the use of armed force against the Libyan people. He must hand over power without delay to a government which fully recognises the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people."
0742
LibyanYouthMovement
tweets: "Gaddafi's tactics are weak and desperate. His own soldiers are misinformed and often defect once they realize their situation #libya #feb17"
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0730A rebel commander tells Reuters his forces now control Nawfaliya, west of Bin Jawad, which rebels reportedly took on Saturday. The towns are on the rebels' path west from Ras Lanuf towards their prize Sirte - Col Gaddafi's home town.
0726A warplane has flown over Ras Lanuf and smoke then rose into the sky near a checkpoint on the eastern edge, where a reporter saw two craters in the ground, reports AFP.
0724Both AP and AFP news agencies are reporting that Ras Lanuf is still under rebel control.
0716Libyan rebels are denying that Gaddafi loyalists have recaptured the key oil town of Tobruk in the far east of the country, saying they are in full control, reports AFP news agency.
0715Welcome to the BBC's live coverage of events in Libya, where anti-government forces are attempting to topple Col Muammar Gaddafi, the country's leader for the past 41 years. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. You can contact us via email, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can.
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