Libyan rebels say they are closing in on Tripoli from the west and the front line is now less than 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the capital.

They say a 600-strong rebel force that set out eastward from the coastal city of Zawiya reached the outskirts of the town of Jedaim on Sunday.

Murad Dabdoub, a rebel fighter who returned to Zawiya from the front, says forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi were shelling the rebel force with rockets, mortars and anti-aircraft fire.

An Associated Press reporter in Tripoli, meanwhile, says the city is largely quiet after a night of gunfire and explosions.

Tripoli has been Gadhafi's stronghold since the Libyan civil war began some six months ago, but it is not clear whether the embattled leader is still there.