ENGHAZI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi's forces drove rebels from one of their final strongholds on Libya's main coastal highway on Sunday, pushing at least 25 miles deeper into opposition territory after hours of terrifying assault from the air, land and sea.
Rebels said they were fleeing the oil town of Brega under heavy attack, losing a vital source of fuel for their vehicles and leaving Gadhafi's military less than 150 miles from the main opposition city of Benghazi.
A spokesman for Gadhafi's military declared that it had seized control of Brega.
The strongman's relentless advance left the city of Ajdabiya as the sole major population center between his forces and the rebel headquarters. If his string of successes continue, the Libyan strongman will soon face the choice of consolidating his control of the Mediterranean coast or moving swiftly toward Benghazi and the prospect of a devastating battle.
