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Pro-Gaddafi pursued rebels into the Tunisian border town of Dehiba, with unconfirmed reports that a Tunisian civilian was killed and another injured in the fighting.
Tunisian troops intervened in the conflict for the first time after two hours of intense fire between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces.
The Tunisian army stepped in, detaining and disarming the pro-Gaddafi fighters and then returning them to the Libyan side of the border, Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reported from the Tunisian side of the frontier on Friday.
After shelling the town, pro-Gaddafi forces sent as many as 18 military trucks towards Dehiba on Friday morning, where the majority of the townspeople sympathise with the Libyan rebels, our correspondent said.
The town had been hit by rocket and artillery fire during the fighting over the nearby crossing on Thursday.
One boy was shot in the foot and a woman was killed by pro-Gaddafi forces' shelling and gunfire, according to uncorroborated accounts from witnesses.
The fighting spilled into Tunisia on Friday after an attack the previous day by Gaddafi loyalists on the strategically important Dehiba-Wazin Crossing, which rebels had taken a week earlier.
Since the rebels took the border post on April 21, many Libyan civilians were able to escape into Tunisia, while Libyan rebels were able to use it as a route to refuel and resupply their forces.
Pro-Gaddafi forces retook the crossing after their initial attack on Thursday, but the fighting continued into the night with control of the crossing switching back and forth. The rebels were in control again by Friday afternoon.
The situation is much calmer on the Tunisian side since rebels regained control.
McNaught underlined the significance of the pro-Gaddafi forces' unprecedented incursi
on into Tunisian territory.
The international incident also raises questions about the Tunisian authorities’ failure to do more to protect its own citizens.
In an attempt to remain neutral, Tunisian troops abandoned the border crossing during the fighting yesterday, angering the people of Dehiba.
"The Tunisian forces hadn't done nearly enough to keep its civilians safe," she said.
Tunisian authorities had so-far taken a "very hands-off" approach toward the Libyan clashes in the civil conflict in its southern neighbour.
Now, however, "the battle has actually come to them", McNaught said.
Tunisian military and police abandoned the Dehiba-Wazin border post on Thursday evening, drawing anger from Dehiba residents who called from them to return and protect the town, she said.
Crucial frontier
The crossing, near the western mountains, has been a main route of escape for Libyan nationals fleeing the conflict since the rebels claimed control on April 21. Previously residents of the western mountains area had been forced to take long and difficult roads around the crossing in order to seek shelter or medical help in Tunisia.
Libya's eastern borders shared with Egypt have been more difficult to penetrate, with Cairo's reluctance to accommodate flocking refugees.
Controlling the crossing also gave the rebels better access to aid and supplies to continue their fight against Gaddafi forces in western Libya.
Youssef Bounda, a professor of international affairs at Qatar University, said that the Libyan-Tunisian border was crucial for both the rebels and Gaddafi.
"It is the only exit where they can get support - if not military, at least humanitarian," he explained. "The fact that Gaddafi wants to secure the [Wazin crossing] area, means he is in a very difficult situation."
In other military skirmishes across the country, at least 12 people were killed in Misurata on Friday when pro-Gaddafi forces shelled their homes amid rage against rebels for control of the city's airport, a local doctor told Reuters. The casualties included two women.
Libyan rebels have fought for the airport, after pushing back government forces from the embattled city's sea port as the oil-rich country's tribes urged Gaddafi to relinquish power.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
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