Gaddafi son vows fightback against rebels in Tripoli showdown
One of Col Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam, has appeared in Tripoli and claimed the government had “broken the backbone” of the rebel offensive there.
He turned up in a government vehicle at a hotel held by loyalists, a day after the rebels said they had detained him.
A BBC correspondent said Saif al-Islam, who the rev=bels had claimed to have detained, seemed confident and full of adrenalin.
Fighting in Tripoli has restarted, with the sounds of gunfire and grenades. Both sides say they control most of the capital.
On Monday the rebels met strong resistance from pro-Gaddafi forces as they continued their push.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi turned up in the early hours of Tuesday at the Rixos Hotel, where many international journalists are based.
HE told the BBC: “We gave them a hard time, so we are winning.”