Reports: Rebels hold town near Tripoli

Libyan rebels move on the town of Bir al-Ghanam on Saturday. Rebels say they have maintained control of the city.NEW: The opposition still has control of Bir al-Ghanam, reports sayThe town is 53 miles from Tripoli, with little betweenThe Libyan PM claimed Sunday the town was back in the government's controlRebels said 1,500 opposition members joined Saturday's battle
Zintan, Libya (CNN) -- Libyan rebel forces are still holding the key town of Bir al-Ghanam as of Monday night, despite the Libyan government's claims that it had retaken it Sunday, reporters say.
CNN's Michael Holmes reported no traffic jam at his location, about 43 miles from Bir al-Ghanam, which he said would be expected if rebels were fleeing the town.
Holmes added that a Reuters reporter went to Bir al-Ghanam Monday and confirmed that the rebels were still in charge.
Bir al-Ghanam is about 85 kilometers (53 miles) southwest of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Its capture is significant because little else stands between Bir Al-Ghanam and the Libyan coastline where Tripoli is situated.
Blackouts, gas shortages in Tripoli
After rebels gained control of the town Saturday, one rebel fighter told CNN the "next step" was Tripoli.
Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi had told reporters in Tripoli on Sunday that rebel forces had the town for only a few hours. Bir al-Ghanam "is now back in the hands of the honorable brave tribes, with its surface back in normal life and under the control of the legitimate government of Libya," Al-Mahmoudi said.
But Nasr Abu al Qassem, who was in Zintan, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Bir al-Ghanam, said rebels remained at the front line in Bir Al-Ghanam and were being reinforced. The situation in the town was stable, he said.
Some Grad rockets were fired at the town from a distance Sunday morning, but no rebels were injured, he said.
Rebel commanders said 1,500 opposition members joined in Saturday's battle, which lasted five hours. Rockets and gunfire were exchanged from both sides, and rebels took on Gadhafi fighters from three fronts.
At least eight rebels were killed and dozens more were wounded, according to medical sources. Casualties inflicted on Moammar's Gadhafi forces were not immediately known.
The fighters in Saturday's attack were part of what some have dubbed a Mad Max army -- a fleet of pickup trucks modified to take heavy weapons speeding across the desert. Most of the men were civilians before the fighting broke out.
For months, rebel fighters -- who have controlled the eastern city of Benghazi and other areas -- have been trying to move closer to the capital. They are seeking the ouster of Gadhafi, who has ruled Libya for 42 years.CNN's Michael Holmes and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report.

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