’ French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who with Mr Cameron had kept up pressure for Nato’s continued role, said Gaddafi’s death was a ‘major step on the country’s path to democracy. ’ U. S. President Barack Obama said: ‘This marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya. ’ Nato leaders will be watching anxiously over the next few days, however, in case Gaddafi loyalists plunder stockpiled weapons to wreak bloody revenge on the rebels. Five bodyguards were killed but one tried to save Gaddafi, telling rebels: ‘My master is here, my master is here.
She tweeted: 'From the side door, I could see a bare chest with bullet wound and a bloody hand. He was wearing gold-coloured pants. 'At every checkpoint between Sirte and Misrata, crowds had gathered and wanted to know if we were the ambulance with Gaddafi's body in it. 'Upon hearing the truth, that Gaddafi was truly dead, revolutionaries at the checkpoints were beside themselves, shouting with joy.
‘This is the best day of my life, ’ said Al Sharash Thawban. GADDAFI'S LAST DAY8. 30am - French Aircraft attack the convoy in which Gaddafi is travelling at a roundabout two miles west of Sirte. 15 armed pick-up trucks are destroyed in the attack. A wounded Gaddafi, accompanied by a handful of loyal men seeks refuge in a nearby storm drain. NTC forces initially fire anti-airctraft guns before moving in on foot.
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One rebel waved a silver trophy in the air while another held up a box of firecrackers, then set them off. Government troops hoisted the red, black and green national flag above a large building in the centre of a newly-captured Sirte neighbourhood. ‘Libya is free from east to west, ’ cried Malik Al Gantri, a young fighter from Tripoli who had been in the battle for Sirte for two weeks. ‘I hope to go home now. I want to see my mother. ’ Hundreds of NTC fighters gathered in the centre of Sirte shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is greatest), firing guns into the air and dancing in the streets. One of them, a man aged 65 and blind in one eye, rode around on a mountain bike carrying an AK47 assault rifle and a Libyan flag.
Officials knew it was a high-value target because it was so big and they could detect command and control was active with it – giving them the right to attack it. First, a U. drone strike was called in with hellfire missiles and then French warplanes launched a second strike on the convoy as it sped west along the coastal highway. Last night 15 pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns lay burnt out, smashed and smouldering next to an electricity sub station 20 yards from the main road, about two miles west of Sirte.
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After the battle, revolutionaries began searching homes and buildings looking for any hiding Gaddafi fighters. At least 16 were captured, along with cases of ammunition and trucks loaded with weapons. Reporters saw revolutionaries beating captured Gaddafi men in the back of trucks and officers intervening to stop them. Inside what had been the last redoubt of Gaddafi’s men, there was a scene of utter destruction: gaping holes in buildings, trees stripped of their branches, lamp-posts felled by artillery and traffic lights dangling by their cables. Discarded military uniforms of Gaddafi’s fighters littered the streets.
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Pleading: Muammar Gaddafi begged with his captors for his life after he was found cowering in a storm drain Paraded: Gaddafi struggled with his captors in video footage taken by rebel fighters after he was found Chaotic: Gaddafi was pushed around by rebel fighters, one of whom filmed the incident on a mobile phone Fear: Becoming increasingly desperate, Gaddafi asked a rebel fighter 'What did I ever do to you' Terrified: Moments after he begged for his life, Gaddafi was shot dead by rebel fighters The circumstances leading up to Gaddafi's death are more clear. RAF Tornados helped launch the final airstrike by flying surveillance missions which cleared the way for French fighter jets to bomb a Gaddafi convoy.
He was then dragged 50 yards to a black Jeep and thrown on to the bonnet. Several rebel fighters surrounded him, beating him about the face, before he was shot in the stomach and head. One of those reported to have been killed along with Gaddafi was his son, Mo’tassim, who had been organising the defence of Sirte and his army chief Abu Bakr Younis Jabr.
Others lay mutilated and contorted strewn in the grass. There were some 50 bodies in all. Rebel commander Adel Busamir said those Gaddafi loyalists who remained alive had realised there was no escape and turned back. ‘my master is here’A wounded Gaddafi limped through some trees, fighters said, and sought shelter in a storm drain. Several bodyguards were with him. ‘At first we fired at them with anti-aircraft guns, but it was no use, ’ said rebel commander Salem Bakeer.
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