Destroy rebels, demands defiant Gaddafi

Muammar Gaddafi has called on Libyans to "destroy" the rebels who have overtaken Tripoli and forced his regime into hiding.

The appeal comes as intense fighting has erupted in the Libyan capital.


The toppled dictator leader made the plea today in a brief audio statement broadcast on Al-Arabiya and other Arab stations.

Fierce fighting broke out between about 1,000 rebels surrounding two buildings filled with Gaddafi loyalists in the neighbourhood next to the Libyan leader's captured compound.

Reporters on the scene said rebels were hammering the buildings with heavy gunfire and a huge explosion from the battle scene sent a large plume of white smoke.

A regime spokesman told The Associated Press Gadhafi is safely in hiding and leading the battle against the rebels.

AP reporters on the scene of the battle in the Abu Salim neighborhood said rebels were hammering at least 10 buildings sheltering Gadhafi loyalists with anti-aircraft guns. There were huge explosions, and the air was clogged with smoke. At least three of the buildings were burning.

"They are holding at least 10 tall buildings. They have heavy weaponry, maybe even a tank," Mohammed Karami, a rebel involved in the battle, said of the Gadhafi loyalists.

Mahmoud Bakoush, a rebel commander at the site, said there were rumors that one of Gaddafi's sons might be in the buildings, but they are unconfirmed.

Gaddafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim, in a call to AP's Cairo office, said the longtime dictator was in Libya and his morale was high. Gaddafi "is indeed leading the battle for our freedom and independence" said Ibrahim, who was recognizable by his voice.

Ibrahim refused to say where Gaddafi was hiding. Ibrahim, who had for months appeared daily in televised news conferences since the start of the rebellion six months ago, added he himself was in an undisclosed location in Libya and constantly on the move.

"All of the leader's family are fine," Ibrahim said, adding that top military and political aides remained with Gaddafi.

He said Gaddafi was capable of continuing resistance for "weeks, months and years."

Ibrahim claimed Gaddafi's forces controlled a "good portion" of the capital — a claim that contradicts what reporters are seeing on the ground — and other cities and towns. He also accused Nato of besieging Gaddafi strongholds such as Sirte

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