Coalition warplanes were again in action after darkness fell, bombing regime targets on the central coast and in the west, but US officials denied that the military action was intended directly to help the rebels.
British Prime Minister David Cameron told the leaders of the United States, Germany and France that a planned conference on on Libya in London on Tuesday should "broaden the coalition" of nations committed to enforcing a UN Security Council resolution allowing the use of force to protect civilians.
The rebels came under heavy fire at the village of Harawa, some 60 kilometres (35 miles) short of Kadhafi's birthplace.
French journalists at the scene, who escaped unhurt, reported at least two casualties and several rebel pick-up trucks destroyed in the assault.
Artillery fire continued for half-an-hour, the journalists said, halting the rebels' progress.
After their rapid progress on Sunday, helped by overnight coalition air raids, Monday proved something of a sticking point and earlier in the day, their advance westwards towards Tripoli was halted about 140 kilometres (85 miles) east of Sirte but later resumed.
Ahead of an international conference in London on Tuesday, Britain and France called for supporters of the Libyan leader to abandon him "before it's too late" and insisted the rebel National Transitional Council should help a Libyan transition towards democracy, saying Kadhafi must go immediately.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, whose country was the former colonial power in Libya, said he expected it to be liberated quickly."
Forces loyal to Kadhafi have ended their onslaught on rebel-held Misrata and "calm" has been restored, th
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