Meanwhile, the Associated Press has been speaking to the “Tripoli brigade” of the rebel fighters. These 475 men either grew up in Tripoli or have family there, and moved from the eastern to the western front – Nalut in the western Nafusa mountains, about 175 miles (280km) from Tripoli – several weeks ago because it was closer to the capital. They hope to be the first to enter Tripoli and expel Muammar Gaddafi and his regime.

Late last week they pushed back Gaddafi’s forces in the coastal plain below the mountain, but Gaddafi’s men entrenched in Tiji have halted their advance with rockets.

Hossam Najjair, a building contractor from Dublin with a Libyan father, who left behind his life in Ireland to fight in the civil war, told the news agency: “We want to keep the advance going. Our goal now is to reach Tripoli at all costs.” Others have come from the US, Germany and Greece to join the battle.”