The sound of explosions and small arms fire came from Ras Lanuf on Friday as government troops landed from the sea backed by tanks and air power fought to recapture the oil port town.
"Four boats carrying 40 to 50 men each landed there. We are fighting them right now," rebel spokesman Mohammed al-Mughrabi said, but he declined to say exactly where he was.
Rebel fighter Ibrahim al-Alwani said he and his comrades were still in the residential area of Ras Lanuf and had seen government troops in the town center.
"I saw maybe 150 men and three tanks," he said.
Libya has 3 small Landing Craft Tanks (LCTs) and a larger Landing Ship Tank capable of carrying 11 tanks or 240 men, according to my 2008 Military Balance. I wonder if the troops landed are naval personnel formed into ad hoc ground units, regular army, or loyalist paramilitaries? I did say that I thought the Libyans should create ad hoc ground units from naval personnel. Landing from the sea certainly implies the troops landed are naval since otherwise it would make more sense to simply drive to the objective by road.
Rebels are quoted as begging for Western help. Sadly, as any liberal knows, intervening on the side of the rebels would just spark the Arab street to angrily denounce the West. Poor, un-nuanced rebels.
