In a major development, the Libyan rebel army has fought its way into the key city of Zawiya.
Zawiya, 30 miles from the capital, is a key target for rebels waging a new offensive launched from the mountains in the far west of Libya, an attempt to break the deadlock in combat between the two sides that has held for months in the center and east of the country.
A credible threat from the rebels in the west could strain Qaddafi's troops, which have been hammered for months by NATO airstrikes. Defending Zawiya is key for the regime but could require bringing in better trained forces who are currently ensuring its hold over its Tripoli stronghold or fighting rebels on fronts further east.
The rebels now claim they control most of the city, and that almost all of the people are with them. This is critical; if Zawiya falls, the rebels will control the main highway from Tripoli to Tunisia, along with the last refineries still under Qaddafi's control.
Not surprisingly, Qaddafi's troops are going all-out to hold Zawiya.
Qaddafi's forces then counterattacked with a barrage of heavy weapons, and the loud crackle of gunfire could be heard as rebels and government troops battled.
Regime snipers were firing down from rooftops on the rebels, said one resident, Abdel-Basset Abu Riyak, who joined to fight alongside the rebels when they entered the city. He said Qaddafi's forces were holed up in several pockets in the city and that there were reports of reinforcements coming from Tripoli, though there was no sign of them yet.
The BBC puts it bluntly--the loss of Zawiya will "effectively cut the (Qaddafi) government off from the outside world."