Ras Lanuf, Libya (CNN) -- The military forces of Moammar Gadhafi on Friday pounded Ras Lanuf, the key oil port once in the hands of rebel forces, and its leadership confidently vowed to retake all territory from the opposition.
Across the world, meanwhile, international leaders are embracing the opposition and rejecting the government, and in the latest move, European Union leaders called for Gadhafi to "relinquish power immediately".
In Ras Lanuf, pro-Gadhafi forces cranked up an intense and steady bombardment of the city, believed to be by rocket, artillery and tank fire. A storage tank at an oil refinery was on fire after an air raid there.
"We saw a bomb fall about a kilometer to the southwest of the refinery, and moments later saw thick black smoke rising from the refinery. We don't know, and no one we spoke to could say with any level of certainty or veracity, what caused the fire," said CNN Correspondent Ben Wedeman.
Dozens of pickup trucks and cars belonging to the opposition are heading away from the city amid fear that Libyan forces are advancing as the bombardment continues. The rebels evacuated to a checkpoint outside the town, but that and other rebel positions were targeted by airstrikes.
Rebels say the eastern city has been essentially empty as civilians fled and opposition forces retreated from sustained attacks. On Thursday, state media said the town was "cleansed" of the fighters. CNN
