AJDABIYA, Libya -- As the conflict for control of Libya appears to be turning into a protracted war, the motley rebel forces that once charged forward easily to take parts of the east said Saturday that they now must organize themselves better militarily.

Here at the large green arches that mark this city's boundaries, where hundreds of rebel fighters once gathered jubilantly to march off to war, some not even carrying weapons, few remain. It's become too dangerous, the remaining rebels say. A few tanks remain, and only a few fighters patrol this entryway to the city.

Rebels said they now have commanders operating out of the newly named military operations center in Benghazi, the capital in the liberated east. Those commanders of the east's rebel Army join them at the front as well, fighters said, often wearing the rank of colonel on procured uniforms they didn't own a few days ago.

The rebels now even have food and water supply lines running from liberated towns to the ones up for control, sometimes with food prepared by wives left behind at home, so they now can stay and fight for days at a time.

The fighters also have developed their own rotation schedule so they can go home and rest. Many fighters have fought in every town won, moving along the barren highway that connects the cities. Indeed, they are starting to recognize each other and their doctors who travel with them between battlefields.

"Yes we have an operation room in Benghazi and we are getting orders from them," said Faraj al Musslatee, 50, as he was returning from the front lines in Ras Lanuf, where rebels are struggling to retain control. "But we are using the same guns as before."

They are facing better-armed forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, which are using air power that fighters said they cannot defend against. In addition to airstrikes, pro-government forces are launching missile strikes on ships docked nearby, and they have set oil refineries afire.

Pro-Gadhafi forces are found throughout eastern Libya, including Benghazi. On Saturday, a cameraman for the Arab world's TV station Al-Jazeera was slain in what the station called an "ambush," becoming the first journalist killed in the month-long war.

That was the latest in a string of attacks attributed to pro-regime forces, including the sabotage of a huge ammunition dump, a hand grenade attack on a hotel where many journalists were staying and the public kidnapping of a Jordanian doctor from that same hotel. Together the incidents underscore that the effort to organize the rebel military better may not be sufficient.

Fighters discovered only one gas station of three along the highway working Saturday because of fighting in Ras Lanuf, home to Libya's largest refinery. In the past few days, large plumes of smoke have risen over the city. The fighting has moved from the outskirts to the hospital and mosque in the city's heart. The rebels maintain fragile control at best. A week ago, they had moved on to Ben Jawwad, the next city west along the highway.

Whether more organized rebel forces will see more gains remains unclear, though it appears to remain a largely unsophisticated military operation. The commands issuing from the unidentified leaders at the operation center so far have been orders like "move forward, retreat and spread out," said Khalifa al Atrus, 40. He was on shift to defend Ajdabiya, the last undeniably liberated city on this highway to Tripoli.