Closing In

Libyan Rebels Advance on Tripoli

Approach capital from three directions.

The end may finally be near for Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Rebel forces are advancing on Tripoli from three directions. They say they have taken the oil town of Brega, which has repeatedly changed hands during the war, and earlier they took the eastern town of Zlitan after a day of heavy fighting. The rebels also reported success in clearing out the last of Gaddafi's forces from the center of Zawiyah, 30 miles west of Tripoli. Fighting has spilled into Tunisia, as armed Libyans engaged in fire, but it is not clear whether those forces are rebels or pro-Gaddafi. More than two thirds of the country now belongs to the rebels, as well as the roads leading into the capital. As the rebels advance, the United Nations is considering a naval evacuation of the thousands of foreigners trapped in Tripoli.