At least 30,000 people were killed and 50,000 wounded in Libya's six-month civil war, the interim health minister said, offering a first detailed estimate of the human cost of bringing down Muammar Gaddafi.

In the days since the five brothers vanished at a checkpoint manned by Gaddafi loyalists, a small army of friends and relatives have fanned out across Tripoli.

The European Union has opened a humanitarian office in Tripoli and France has reopened its embassy as the process of resurrecting the Libyan capital gets underway.

Explosions and heavy gunfire were reported in the Libyan capital Tripoli as rebel forces claimed they had launched an offensive against Muammar Gaddafi's forces in coordination with Nato.