Gaddafi hunted as transition begins

A massive manhunt was under way for Muammar Gaddafi today as Libya braced itself for life after the hated dictator.

The end of Gaddafi’s 42-year rule was effectively marked last night when rebels stormed the heavily-fortified Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli.

In extraordinary scenes, jubilant fighters raised the new Libyan flag, tore down statues, fired guns into the air, and looted personal possessions from his luxurious home.

One man was spotted wearing the famous colonel’s hat previously sported by the “brother leader” – having apparently taken it from his bedroom.

However, there was no trace of Gaddafi himself, sparking speculation that he may have used a secret network of tunnels to escape.

The US believes the 69-year-old is still in the country, and his remaining forces are said to be heading for his home town of Sirte, raising the prospect of a bloody final showdown with the rebels.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague hailed the breaching of the inner sanctum as an important symbolic moment after the public reappearance of Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam yesterday provoked doubt over which side had the upper hand.

“For anyone in Libya who thought the Gaddafi regime, that its writ still ran, that what Gaddafi’s son was saying this morning was true – well they are really disabused of it when they can see what is happening at the compound there,” he said in a round of interviews.

“So that is important. But equally of course we have all learned over the last five months not to place too much emphasis on any one development or one piece of news.”

He added: “This is not yet an ordered or secure situation in Tripoli or other parts of Libya. It’s not over yet but we are in the death throes here of a despicable regime.”

In a remark directed at Syrian president Bashar al-Assad – who has been brutally putting down protests – Mr Hague went on: “There is a lesson here for others in the world that once a critical mass of people of a country set out to achieve change or bring democracy to their country, then attempts to repress that by violence will not permanently succeed.”

Celebrations took place across the country as it became clear that Gaddafi had been routed. Thousands gathered in Tripoli’s Green Square – the site of numerous rallies staged to show support for the dictator over recent months.

Leaders of the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) are expected to arrive in the capital later after signalling that they will shift their base from Benghazi.

Civilian experts from Britain are also poised to head for the city to help stabilise the government, in a bid to avoid the chaos that followed military victories in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Brussels, the EU’s foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton said it was preparing to unfreeze Libyan assets once the United Nations had given its approval.

She is to travel to New York on Friday to discuss releasing funds to Libya’s transitional administration to ensure public sector workers are paid and the country’s stores have sufficient supplies.