Outlining a battle plan for Sirte. Fighters backing Libya's interim rulers renew their advance into the coastal city of Sirte after NATO aircraft bombed targets in Muammar Gaddafi's home town. Sirte lies between the capital Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi, both now held by the National Transitional Council, whose fighters toppled Gaddafi last month, six months into a campaign that is not yet over. Taking Sirte would be a huge boost for the NTC as it tries to establish credibility as a government able to unite Libya's fractious tribes and regions, and a blow for Gaddafi, widely believed to be on the run inside Libya. Anti-Gaddafi forces are also intensifying efforts to capture Bani Walid. Smoke rises from a series of explosions in the town Groups of Libyan forces have entered Bani Walid in recent weeks but have encountered stiff resistance, which they say is a sign that senior former members of Gaddafi's regime are lingering. Commanders on Bani Walid's northern front say, with the help of the heavy weaponry, they will be ready for a coordinated ground assault within days. Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
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