TRIPOLI - Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi has urged Russia, China and India to invest in the Libyan oil sector as the ongoing turmoil continues to bring damage to the country's oil industry, according to state-run JANA news agency.

Gadhafi had made the appeal during talks with the ambassadors of the three countries on Sunday.

Libya's oil exports have been hit hard by weeks of deadly clashes between pro-Gadhafi forces and opposition groups.

The Libyan government troops gained control of the eastern oil- producing town of Ras Lanuf on Friday.

Oil operation plays a fundamental role in Libyan economic growth, representing 95 percent of exports and 25 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).