Gaddafi’s son captured, rebels say

THE trappings of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime crumbled last night as hundreds of Libyan rebels overran a major military base defending the capital and raced onto the streets of Tripoli amid unconfirmed reports that Gaddafi’s son and key aide, Saif al-Islam, had been captured by the rebels.

The rebels’ speedy leap forward, after six months of largely deadlocked civil war, was packed into just a few dramatic hours.

By nightfall, they had advanced more than 32km to the edge of Gaddafi’s last major bastion of support.