Footage apparently shot by rebels and aired on al-Jazeera showed armed rebels deep inside the Bab al-Aziziyah complex, rejoicing as they clambered upon the ruins of Gaddafi`s old house, which was bombed by U.S. jets in 1986 and had been left by Gaddafi as a memorial to the West`s evils.
This time, it was his rebel foes and likely the last foes of his 42-year iron rule who owned the territory.
Explosions and what sounded like bursts of sniper fire resounded across the city from the complex throughout Tuesday, as rebels fought pitched battles, attempting to rout the last remaining fighters inside; the complex has been thought to be the sanctuary of Gaddafi`s most hard-core fighters, some officials and close advisers and perhaps even the fugitive leader himself since the rebels stormed the capital on Sunday night.
"We are liberating Libya from north to south," said Mahmoud Shammam, a spokesman for the rebels` National Transitional Council (NTC).