<p>But volunteer caterer Adel, imperturbable even after a long drive to the front, parked his car and distributed cups of rice.<br /><br />Around him, rebels raised their arms and cried: "Allahu Akbar", forgetting the jet for a moment, even as it disappeared back into the west.<br /><br />Adel Kablan, a 41-year-old father-of-five had just made the 330-kilometre (190-mile) round trip from Benghazi, headquarters of the revolt in eastern Libya, to bring rebels food his family had cooked early in the morning.<br /><br />In the distance, a miasmic black smoke cloud billowed from Ras Lanuf's bombed oil depots. Libyan military units loyal to leader Moamer Kadhafi retook the town on Thursday after a fierce battle with the insurgents.<br /><br />Kadhafi's forces have been making daily progress, pushing back the rebels with bombs, rockets and mortars.<br /><br />"It breaks my heart to watch our men in retreat," said Adel, handing a rebel a ration of rice and meat as they fell back from the beleaguered coastal village of Uqayla. "But with God's help, we can turn it around."<br /><br />Suddenly, a string of eight explosions rocked the desert hard enough to make the stones roll.<br /><br />Five kilometres away smoke rose from the desert plain. "We were over there this morning, 30 kilometres away, near Ras Lanuf," said 40-year-old Wanis Muftar. "But we had to pull back under the weight of the bombing."<br /><br />The rebels are facing air strikes and artillery, and their lack of combat experience and training are compounded by the logistical challenge of forming efficient supply lines.<br />"We are like fingers on the same hand. Adel does not fight with us, but he brings us food every day," said 32-year-old Tariq, while his comrades ate in small groups, sitting in the sand or on the back of their pick-up.<br /><br />"The first time I came to the front, I saw young fighters eating bread and cheese and drinking water. That's all they had before going into battle. I had to help them, feed them," he said.</p>
<p>But volunteer caterer Adel, imperturbable even after a long drive to the front, parked his car and distributed cups of rice.<br /><br />Around him, rebels raised their arms and cried: "Allahu Akbar", forgetting the jet for a moment, even as it disappeared back into the west.<br /><br />Adel Kablan, a 41-year-old father-of-five had just made the 330-kilometre (190-mile) round trip from Benghazi, headquarters of the revolt in eastern Libya, to bring rebels food his family had cooked early in the morning.<br /><br />In the distance, a miasmic black smoke cloud billowed from Ras Lanuf's bombed oil depots. Libyan military units loyal to leader Moamer Kadhafi retook the town on Thursday after a fierce battle with the insurgents.<br /><br />Kadhafi's forces have been making daily progress, pushing back the rebels with bombs, rockets and mortars.<br /><br />"It breaks my heart to watch our men in retreat," said Adel, handing a rebel a ration of rice and meat as they fell back from the beleaguered coastal village of Uqayla. "But with God's help, we can turn it around."<br /><br />Suddenly, a string of eight explosions rocked the desert hard enough to make the stones roll.<br /><br />Five kilometres away smoke rose from the desert plain. "We were over there this morning, 30 kilometres away, near Ras Lanuf," said 40-year-old Wanis Muftar. "But we had to pull back under the weight of the bombing."<br /><br />The rebels are facing air strikes and artillery, and their lack of combat experience and training are compounded by the logistical challenge of forming efficient supply lines.<br />"We are like fingers on the same hand. Adel does not fight with us, but he brings us food every day," said 32-year-old Tariq, while his comrades ate in small groups, sitting in the sand or on the back of their pick-up.<br /><br />"The first time I came to the front, I saw young fighters eating bread and cheese and drinking water. That's all they had before going into battle. I had to help them, feed them," he said.</p>