Battle rages for Bani Walid

Explosions and gunfire echo around the desert town of Bani Walid.
Libyan fighters poured into the area in a bid to capture the town still held by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
Bani Walid - 180km south of Tripoli - has been under siege for two weeks, with hundreds of die-hard Gaddafi loyalists holed up in the centre.
But Libyan fighters said they had now captured a valley leading to the centre of the town.
(SOUNDBITE), (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED LOCAL NTC COMMANDER, SAYING
"From about 3 km outside of the city of Bani Walid, it's very lively and it's under control by the rebels now. God has made this successful.''
Earlier, truck loads of defiant anti-Gaddafi troops and columns of pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns headed towards the town.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED LOCAL NTC COMMANDER, SAYING:
"We are going to Bani Walid to fight, God willing. It's not going to be peaceful since they won't allow it. Gaddafi leftovers don't want it to be peaceful, that's why we will fight.''
Libya's National Transitional Council had initially hesitated to storm the town in fear of alienating a powerful local tribe.
But earlier this week, it told civilians to flee ahead of an all-out onslaught.
Sunita Rappai, Reuters