Lybian Rebels Take Tripoli, Gaddafi's Son Mohammed Al-Gaddafi Surrenders to Rebels

After four decades of rule and 6 months of battle, Moammar Gaddafi may be living his last days as the leader of Libya.  Sunday rebels stormed and took the capital Tripoli. Below is a video of Alex Crawford, of Sky News as rebels enter the raging heart of Libya's capital city. 

On Sunday President Obama formally called for Gaddafi to cede power, to whom among the rebels is unsure. 

“The surest way for the bloodshed to end is simple: Moammar Gaddafi and his regime need to recognize that their rule has come to an end," Obama said in a statement. "Gaddafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all.”

It has now been widely reported that Gaddafi's son Mohammed Al-Gaddafi has surrendered to the rebels.

BBC updates below:


205: Rana, a Tripoli resident, tells the BBC that many city residents poured into the streets to greet the rebels. She adds: “We didn’t expect it to be this way, we thought they were going to be attacking us, I thought there would be dead bodies all over the country but it was easy, thanks to Allah.”

0151: Al-Jazeera reports that its interview with Col Gaddafi’s son, Mohammed, was abruptly cut off after he said there were gunmen surrounding his house.

0139: Via Twitter LibyaNewMedia tweets: Two issues in Tripoli: There are still pockets of Gaddafi thugs thirsty for blood and killing people and Gaddafi channels are still broadcasting.

 
0136: Hussain al-Zwaik, a rebel fighter from Zawiya who took part in Sunday’s advance on Tripoli, tells the BBC: “We saw Gaddafi forces running and running from us. We thought it would be a big fight – but there was no resistance. We’re all surprised! It’s a great moment for us! All the people in Tripoli joined us to celebrate!”

0115: The rebels are now in control of Tripoli’s airport and the highway to Tunisia, the NTC is being quoted as saying by al-Jazeera.

0113: A spokesman for the US defence department says: “We continue watch carefully the events that are being reported; we continue to support Nato as required.”

0045: A BBC correspondent in Tripoli, who cannot be named for safety reasons, says that “chants are being heard from the mosques across the city ‘God is great!’ and ‘We’re free!’ There is a sense of jubilation among the people here, in the eastern part of the city. The people believe this is the end of the regime.”

0042: Guma el-Gamaty, the NTC spokesman in Britain, tells the BBC: “I think the freedom fighters are dealing with some remnants of Gaddafi’s forces – some of the forces and some of the tanks and multi-rocket launchers and artillery are still positioned in certain places and are not willing to surrender yet. They are being surrounded by the freedom fighters and they are given a chance to surrender peacefully rather than take them on in a bloody battle.”

0028: Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu tells the BBC that the alliance is “not directly assisting the rebels”, as claimed by Col Gaddafi’s government. She adds: “We are trying to strike legitimate military targets”.

0023: The BBC’s Matthew Price in the Tripoli hotel used by the Libyan government for its news conferences says the rebels appear to be trying to take control of the building.