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.

Families in pickup trucks stacked with mattresses and jugs of water fled Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte ahead of an expected new push by revolutionary forces to seize the city, as the anti-Gaddafi forces claimed progress in the battle for a city in the remote southern desert.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In a fiery broadcast from hiding, Muammar Gaddafi has warned that loyalist tribes in his main strongholds were armed and preparing for battle, a show of defiance hours after rebels extended a deadline for the surrender of the fugitive leader’s home town.

Muammar Gaddafi was quoted today as warning that tribes loyal to him in key strongholds are armed and won’t surrender to Libyan rebels, a blow to opposition hopes of a peaceful surrender of the ousted leader’s hometown of Sirte.

Rebels hunting the top officials in Muammar’s Gaddafi’s ousted regime have captured his foreign minister and are closing in on Gaddafi himself, rebel officials said today.

Libyan rebel fighters have captured Muammar Gaddafi’s foreign minister, according to a rebel official.

ONE of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons has tried to negotiate his own surrender, according to the rebel commander in Tripoli.

A man claiming to be Muammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam is vowing to fight to the death and says nobody will surrender.

One of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons has tried to negotiate his own surrender, according to the rebel commander in Tripoli.

Muammar Gaddafi’s spokesman said today a surrender-by-Saturday ultimatum to the fugitive dictator’s henchmen in his home town would be rejected.

ALMOST £1 billion (€1.07bn) of Libyan currency held in Britain will be released to the country’s central bank after the UN Sanctions Committee approved the measure.

THOUSANDS of rebel fighters have massed west of Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, preparing for what could be the last major battle for control of Libya’s coast.

LIBYA’S new masters offered a £1 million bounty for the fugitive Muammar Gaddafi yesterday, after he urged his men to carry on a battle that kept the capital in a state of fear.

Muammar Gaddafi’s forces pounded rebels near their port-city redoubt in western Libya today.

International allies will gather in London today to discuss the next steps for Libya after rebels made significant advances amid continued coalition air strikes on regime forces.

French fighter jets have shot down a Libyan plane, a US official said today.

Two ferries evacuating some 4,500 Chinese nationals from Libya are heading for the island of Crete, authorities say.