Libya’s rebel forces called on foreign allies to urgently provide them with weapons yesterday, amid a bloody stalemate on the ground and doubts about Nato’s mission in the air.

Rebel colonel Ahmed Omar Bani made a plea for foreign allies to provide the arms, training and communications systems needed to defeat Muammar Gaddafi’s better armed and better drilled army.

“It is so urgent” he said, “we will fight, just support us, just give us the equipment.”

Speaking at the Rajma military installation, 30 kilometres from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Mr Bani said the rebels were up against vastly superior firepower.

The mostly volunteer force has, with the help of Nato air strikes, kept Col Gaddafi’s forces at bay on several fronts across the country, but has made limited progress toward Tripoli – allowing loyalist forces to dig in to key positions.

Much of the rebels’ arsenal is comprised of Soviet-era tanks and artillery, which is up to 50 years old.

While the allied forces have supplied rebels with some non-lethal equipment, there has been a reluctance to transport large quantities of weapons after experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But Mr Bani’s comments came amid unease in Benghazi about statements from Washington and Rome, that hinted backing for the war had ebbed.

As some US Republicans sought to clobber President Barack Obama over US involvement in the conflict, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called for “an immediate humanitarian suspension of hostilities” in Libya.

That suggestion was quickly shot down by officials in other European capitals and at Nato, but not before questions were raised about the durability of the coalition that has banded together to protect Libyan civilians and oust Col Gaddafi.

“It would be a shame if the world did not support us now, because everyone knows Gaddafi the tyrant is not our enemy only, he is the enemy of humanity,” said Mr Bani.