Rebels in the Nafusa Mountains launched attacks at dawn on Thursday across multiple fronts in an effort to push loyalist troops out of towns in the valley.

The main thrusts appeared to come from Nalut, near the border with Tunisia, and Jadu, farther east. Troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi appeared to retreat from the town of al-Jawsh, and fighting was reporting in Takut, 35km west.

Ghazaya, on the Tunisian border, had been shelled extensively on Wednesday night, according to rebel sources, and also appeared to be a target of the attack, which may have been the largest in the west since the conflict began.