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In an live audio message on early Monday, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi called?on his supporters to fight for the liberation of?rebel-held towns, Xinhua reported.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi [File photo]

The address, which was also aired on Libyan state television, came hours after rebels claimed advances in a number of cities in western Libya, including al-Zawiya which serves as a critical supply line to the west, CNN reported.

"You are hearing from me even under shelling," Gaddafi said. "There will be an end to the shelling, end to the rebels, end to the idiots in the Gulf and the Libyan people will remain."

"Go to the front always, to the fights, to the weapons, to the battles to liberate Libya inch by inch from the traitors and the NATO. Be ready to fight to liberate our sweet land."

Gaddafi made the call amid rumors that he was about to leave the country for exile and allegations that rebels had captured a strategic town west of Tripoli, according to Xinhua reports.

Western rebel spokesman Col. Jumma Ibrahim said Sunday that rebel forces control most of the al-Zawiya.

A Libyan government spokesman said both al-Zawiya and Gharyan remained "under our full control".

Libya has been mired for months in the deadliest of a spate of turbulence sweeping West Asia and North Africa.

Some Western and Arab countries militarily intervened in March under the name of a UN resolution adopted to protect Libyan civilians, and NATO took over control of the mission weeks later.

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