Troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi launched on Thursday another bombardment against the eastern town of Ras Lanuf, Al-Arabiya news network reported.

The network, citing eyewitnesses, said explosions could be heard near oil facilities in the city, but head of Libya's National Oil Corporation Shukri Ghanem confirmed to Xinhua that the oil facilities are 90 kilometers south of the city.

Ghanem pointed out that the oil output of Libya, a member of OPEC, had been reduced by about half.