Forces loyal to deceased Muammar Gaddafi have seized control of a Libyan town and raised the ousted regime’s green flag.

Forces loyal to Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi attacked the former regime stronghold of Bani Walid today, killing at least four fighters from the new government, officials and residents said.

Libya’s all-powerful leader for four decades spent his final weeks hiding in his home town of Sirte, alternating between rage and melancholy as his regime crumbled, his chief bodyguard has revealed.

Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi is still a serious threat to its new government, the country’s acting prime minister has warned.

Libyan revolutionary forces have captured almost all of Bani Walid, one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds, but still face pockets of resistance as they try to end a weeks-long stand-off, officials said.

A gun battle erupted today between hundreds of revolutionary forces and Muammar Gaddafi supporters in the capital for the first time in more than two months.

Revolutionary forces captured fighters close to Mutassim Gaddafi, one of fugitive leader Muammar Gaddafi’s sons in his father’s home town, but there was no confirmation that he had been captured, a Libyan spokesman said today.

Libya’s de facto leader said today he is optimistic the former rebels will declare total victory over forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in less than a week, opening the way for a transitional government to be formed within a month.

Jubilant revolutionary forces raised their flag today over a convention centre in Sirte that served as a base for Muammar Gaddafi’s loyalists, but fighting surged elsewhere in the town.

Revolutionary fighters today attacked a convention centre in the centre of Sirte that forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi turned into their main base, in what commanders said was a final offensive to crush resistance in the city after weeks of siege.

Nato’s bombing campaign in Libya, now in its seventh month, will continue despite the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, alliance officials said today.

Libyan revolutionary forces fired rockets into the western half of Muammar Gaddafi's home town today as hundreds of residents streamed out of the city to flee the fighting.

Libyan forces have fought their way into the eastern outskirts of Muammar Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte in a bid to link up with comrades from the west and tighten the noose around the loyalist stronghold.

The general commanding Nato’s mission in Libya said today that isolated groups of forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi continue to be a threat to local people but are unable to co-ordinate their actions.

Nato airstrikes pounded an area in Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown today, fighters said, while revolutionary forces surrounding the city came under rocket fire.

Muammar Gaddafi has claimed his regime is still alive in Libya and has called his opponents' takeover of all but a few pockets of the country a charade.

Facing little resistance, revolutionary fighters captured the airport and other parts of a southern desert city that is one of the last remaining strongholds of Muammar Gaddafi's forces, even as military offensives stalled to the north.

LIBYAN interim government forces bent on seizing Muammar Gaddafi’s remaining strongholds fell back after another chaotic attack on the desert town of Bani Walid yesterday, but renewed their battle for the deposed leader’s birthplace of Sirte.

Muammar Gaddafi’s fighters fired several mortars and tried to ambush revolutionary forces today at the northern gate of the loyalist stronghold of Bani Walid.

Libyan revolutionary fighters struggled to expand the offensive into Muammar Gaddafi’s home town today with street-by-street battles and commanders seeking to break open a new front against loyalist forces fiercely defending the most symbolic stronghold remaining from the shattered regime.

THE UN Security Council has unanimously approved a new UN mission in Libya and the unfreezing of assets of two major oil companies.

Muammar Gaddafi supporters put up fierce resistance against offensives trying to storm two strongholds today, forcing revolutionary fighters into retreat in the mountains and turning Gaddafi’s seaside home town into a battlefield of snipers firing from mosques and heavy weapons rattling main boulevards.

Libyan fighters are streaming into Bani Walid, one of the remaining bastions of ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi, in a fierce new push.

WARY of alienating a powerful local tribe, fighters backing Libya’s new rulers are urging families to leave the besieged town of Bani Walid before resorting to full-scale military force to take one of Muammar Gaddafi’s last strongholds.

A convoy carrying ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son al-Saadi has crossed into neighbouring Niger, a spokesman for Niger’s government said.

Nato warplanes have struck several targets in areas still loyal to fugitive leader Muammar Gaddafi as revolutionary forces said they had to retreat after coming under heavy fire.

In a new audio message from hiding, Muammar Gaddafi is calling on his followers to rise up and fight, saying “this is the zero hour”.

Volunteer fighters poured in from the Libyan capital and other towns held by the former rebels today to join what they expect to be the final battle for Bani Walid, one of Muammar Gaddafi’s last remaining strongholds.

Libyan fighters have launched a two-pronged assault on one of the last towns to resist the country’s new rulers, clashing with Muammar Gaddafi’s supporters inside Bani Walid as a week-long standoff dissolved into street-to-street battles, the revolutionary forces said.

Anti-Gaddafi fighters have said they have entered the town of Bani Walid, one of the former Libyan leader's few remaining strongholds.

Muammar Gaddafi supporters rocketed a front line south of Tripoli today, testing the patience of the country’s new leaders as a grace period for the holdouts to surrender runs out.

Libya’s new rulers have dedicated a special unit of fighters to track down former leader Muammar Gaddafi, listening in on his aides’ phone calls, poring over satellite images and interviewing witnesses.

LIBYA’S new rulers say they have dedicated a special unit of fighters to track former leader Muammar Gaddafi — listening in on his aides’ phone calls, poring over satellite images and interviewing witnesses.

The battle is continuing for the Libyan town of Bani Walid as former rebel fighters hunt for fugitive dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, including his security chief, have fled into neighbouring Niger in multiple convoys but the dictator’s location is still unknown.

Muammar Gaddafi is determined to fight his way back to power, his chief spokesman claimed today, as a large convoy of his soldiers apparently deserted into neighbouring Niger.

A large convoy of Libyan soldiers loyal to ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi crossed the desert border into Niger and rolled into the frontier town of Agadez, a resident who is the owner of a local newspaper said.

Rebel reinforcements converged on one of Muammar Gaddafi’s last strongholds in Libya today, even as they gave the town a last chance to surrender.

Negotiations held primarily with Muammar Gaddafi’s chief spokesman over the peaceful surrender of a regime stronghold have failed, a rebel spokesman said.

NEGOTIATIONS held primarily with Muammar Gaddafi’s chief spokesman over the peaceful surrender of a regime stronghold have failed, a rebel spokesman said last night.

The Gaddafi regime warned British officials that there would be “dire consequences” for relations between the UK and Libya if Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died in his Scottish jail cell, it has emerged.

Libyan rebels laying siege to one of Muammar Gaddafi’s remaining strongholds say surrender talks have broken down and they are ready to attack.

Evidence emerged today of close cooperation between British intelligence and the former Gaddafi regime.

Rebel forces in Libya will lay siege to pro-Gaddafi cities until a deadline for their surrender expires next week, the opposition leader said today.