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| Africa North |
| Libya: Col Gaddafi's son Mutassim 'captured trying to flee Sirte' |
| 2011-10-13 |
| The son of Col Muammar Gaddafi who had been leading the defence of the city of Sirte has been captured and is being held for questioning, according to officials in the country's interim government. Three officials in the National Transitional Council (NTC) said Mutassim Gaddafi, the toppled leader's fifth son, was seized trying to flee the city on Tuesday hiding in a family car. Mutassim, believed to be aged 34, who was national security adviser to his father, was then taken to Benghazi for questioning according to Col Abdullah Naker. A powerful figure in the Gaddafi regime, he had been considered a rival to his brother Saif al-Islam in the competition to succeed his father. Rebel brigades camped around the besieged city responded to the news by shooting streams of tracer fire into the night sky in celebration. "If this news is true then definitely the fighting will be over in Sirte by tomorrow," said one fighter from Misurata's Lions of the Wadi brigade. |
| Posted by:lotp |