The insurgents were dug in to the south and east of Brega and controlled its eastern residential area, said the spokesman.
“Members of the revolutionary council saw some Gaddafi forces inside Brega but numbers are very, very low compared to the few last weeks,” he said.
France said the rebels were taking over the town completely, but Tripoli denied this and the Libyan leader vowed to fight on, saying it was time to decide the battle for Libya.
The rebel spokesman said he had listened to intercepted radio communications between Gaddafi loyalists in Brega which suggested they were low on food and weapons.
But he played down the chances of a swift move west by the rebels, saying Brega was full of mines that needed to be dealt with before the area could be secured.
“There are unconfirmed stories of mines being left under dead bodies — when our people advance they bury the dead — and also under wads of money scattered around,” he said by telephone from the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
NATO helicopters attacked military convoys as they tried to supply Gaddafi’s forces, rebels said.