Libyan Rebel Chief: 'The End Is Near For Gaddafi'

Libya's rebel chief has said "the end is very near" for Colonel Gaddafi, as insurgents push ever closer to the capital Tripoli.

"We have contacts with people from the inner circle of Gaddafi," Mustafa Abdel Jalil said.

"All evidence shows that the end is very near, with God's grace."

Mr Jalil's comments came as rumours suggested Col Gaddafi was preparing to flee Libya.

He added: "I expect a catastrophic end for him and his inner circle, and I expect that he will create a situation within Tripoli.

"I hope my expectation is wrong."

Rebels claimed to have captured the eastern oil town of Brega, but a rebel military spokesman later said his fighters lost the industrial area to Gaddafi forces.

Earlier, opposition forces celebrated retaking control of Martyr Square in the key coastal town of Zawiyah.

They also say they have seized Zliten from Col Gaddafi's forces, 93 miles east of Tripoli.

Sky News witnessed the fresh assault in Zawiyah as opposition forces used new weapons and ammunition supplies to take the square.

There was jubilation as the town's iconic square fell, with celebratory gunfire ringing out and delighted rebels circling the area in their cars.

The rebels now believe they have loyalist forces on the run and have effectively taken control of the whole town.

Discarded uniforms of Gaddafi soldiers lay on the ground and traditional Libyan flags - a symbol of the regime - have been ripped down.

The successful assault comes around five months after the town first managed to break free from the control of Gaddafi loyalist fighters.

Control of the strategically important spot will restrict supply routes for Gaddafi forces, as Zawiyah is located between Tripoli and Tunisia.

Until the recent fighting, Col Gaddafi's regime had touted the town as an example of where people were living happily under the dictator's rule.

The opposition troops are now engaged in what they hope will be the final push to remove all pro-Gaddafi troops from the town.

It is unclear how the situation will develop from here, with Col Gaddafi and his family increasingly cornered in Tripoli.

The leader could instigate a bloody fight to the death by refusing to leave despite his power base crumbling away.

However, there are reports that planes are already on standby to remove him and his family.