af i ▁loyal ists , ▁mostly ▁Ch ad ian ▁mer cen aries ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁reb els , ▁were ▁left ▁def ending ▁the ▁ref in ery ▁after ▁ref using ▁to ▁surrender ▁despite ▁being ▁bes ie ged . ▁At ▁least ▁ 2 0 0 ▁re bel ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁assault ▁on ▁the ▁oil ▁ref in ery . ▁The ▁reb els ▁managed ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁ref in ery ' s ▁entrance ▁gate ▁area , ▁but ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁ref in ery ▁thus ▁far ▁due ▁to ▁inten se ▁sni per ▁fire ▁from ▁loyal ist ▁forces ▁within ▁the ▁ref in ery . ▁Al ▁J aze era ▁had ▁also ▁confirmed ▁from ▁a ▁re bel ▁commander ▁that ▁the ▁city ▁center ▁was ▁still ▁under ▁loyal ist ▁control , ▁ref uting ▁earlier ▁NAT O ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁opposition ▁had ▁taken ▁the ▁center . ▁The ▁main ▁loyal ist ▁sni per ▁base ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁hotel ▁at ▁the ▁main ▁square . ▁The ▁oil ▁ref in ery , ▁according ▁to ▁reb els , ▁fell ▁into ▁their ▁hands ▁som etime ▁in ▁the ▁night , ▁although ▁small ▁po ckets ▁of ▁resistance ▁from ▁sn ip ers ▁remained ▁inside ▁the ▁complex . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁August , ▁a ▁Re ut ers ▁rep orter ▁on ▁the ▁scene , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁BBC ▁and ▁Sky ▁News ▁confirmed ▁that ▁the ▁ref in ery ▁had ▁been ▁taken . ▁It ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁Z aw i ya ▁ref in ery ▁would ▁begin ▁production ▁again ▁within ▁days , ▁this ▁time ▁for ▁re bel ▁forces