Black smoke rises around east Libya oil terminal

Three plumes of black smoke rose in an area around Es Sider oil terminal in east Libya on Wednesday after Muammar Gaddafi's forces launched a heavy bombardment on rebel troops, a Reuters correspondent said.

Correspondent Mohammed Abbas said it was not immediately clear if the oil terminal itself was hit but he said one of the smoke columns "was the biggest plume of smoke I've seen in the conflict so far, and is not dissipating." (Reuters)