CAIRO: Libya’s army said it would halt operations from Sunday to allow rebels to lay down their arms, softening repeated threats by Muammar Gaddafi to crush them, as world powers edged towards adopting tough measures to shut down the strongman’s military machine.Libyan troops pushed forward towards the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi on Thursday and launched air raids on its outskirts as Washington raised the possibility of air strikes to stop the forces. The international debate on what action to take may have dragged on too long to help the anti-Gaddafi uprising, now struggling to hold its ground one month after it started.Gaddafi’s forces have made “significant strides on the ground” and are 160km from Benghazi, US undersecretary of state William Burns said.Residential areas of Ajdabiyah , a strategic town on the coast road to Benghazi, saw heavy fighting and 30 people were killed. In Misrata rebels and residents said they were preparing for a new attack by Libyan troops, who had shelled the city overnight.