Libyan rebels say they've reclaimed Brega

TRIPOLI, Libya, March 14 (UPI) -- Anti-government forces in Libya said Monday they had retaken the oil town of Brega from government troops.

Reports that rebels captured or killed government troops could not be independently confirmed, the BBC reported.

News of Brega switching hands came hours after rebels were driven from the oil town by forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Witnesses told the BBC the rebel-held town of Ajdabiya was bombarded by air attacks.

Rights groups said Libya has descended into civil war since protests began weeks ago with anti-government demonstrators seeking to oust Gadhafi.

The death toll ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 people.

On the diplomatic front, France has been working to persuade the U.N. Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, the British broadcaster said.

Rebels have told the BBC they cannot counter Gadhafi's air power and they back demands for a no-fly zone.

The international community has taken steps to aid anti-Gadhafi forces, short of providing weapons, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on BBC radio.

"If Gadhafi went on to be able to dominate much of the country, well, this would be a long nightmare for the Libyan people, and this would be a pariah state," Hague said.

"We're not arming the rebels, but what we do on a no-fly zone will depend on the international discussions that we are now having. But we have done everything diplomatically and peacefully possible so far to tighten the pressure on the Gadhafi regime, with the European Union sanctions imposed at record speed and the resolution of the U.N. Security Council passed unanimously two weeks ago."