Rebels fight to stall Gaddafi's army in east

NEAR AJDABIYAH, Libya, March 17 (Reuters) - Libyan rebels have fought back against Muammar Gaddafi's troops around the eastern town of Ajdabiyah, hampering their push towards the insurgent capital Benghazi.

Government forces captured Ajdabiyah, 150 km (90 miles) south of Benghazi on the Gulf of Sirte, on Tuesday after most of its rebel defenders retreated from a heavy artillery barrage.

One rebel officer said on Wednesday the town had been lost and the fighters who remained had handed over their weapons. But some apparently refused to surrender or flee.

By Wednesday evening, residents said the rebels held the centre of town while forces loyal to Gaddafi were mostly on its eastern outskirts.

Jibril al-Huweidi, a doctor at Benghazi's al-Jalaa Hospital, said he heard from ambulance drivers coming in from Ajdabiyah that they could shuttle back and forth without much problem.

"Only the eastern part of Ajdabiyahis controlled by Gaddafi's men," he said.

"There are a couple of tanks there that sporadically fire at the city. But Ajdabiyah's city centre and other access points are peaceful and not one man from Gaddafi's force wanders around."

Another Benghazi resident, Faiza Ali, said she spoke to relatives in Ajdabiyah on Wednesday evening. "They said they are fine."

Rebels had ambushed Gaddafi forces outside the city and were still battling them, she said.

Earlier on Wednesday, weary government soldiers returning from the frontlines told journalists that they were meeting renewed resistance from rebel positions near the city.