Qaddafi dies of wounds in capture near Sirte: NTC official

TRIPOLI: Former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi died of wounds suffered in his capture near his hometown of Sirte on Thursday, a senior NTC military official said.
National Transitional Council official Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters earlier that Qaddafi was captured and wounded in both legs at dawn on Thursday as he tried to flee in a convoy which NATO warplanes attacked. Majid first reported the capture after Libyan interim government fighters took the town on Thursday, extinguishing the last significant resistance by forces loyal to the former leader and ending a two-month siege.
“He was also hit in his head,” the official said. “There was a lot of firing against his group and he died.”
There was no independent confirmation of his remarks.
The head of Qaddafi’s armed forces Abu Bakr Younus Jabr had been killed during the capture of the Libyan ex-leader, he added. Majid said NATO warplanes struck the convoy and hit four cars as it headed west. Ahmed Ibrahim, a cousin and adviser of Qaddafi, was also captured.
In the capital Tripoli, sounds of gun shots were heard and people cheered in the street: “God is Great, God is Great, Qaddafi has been captured.”
However, the US State Department said it could not confirm the reports.
“We’ve seen the media reports but can’t confirm them,” State Department spokeswoman Beth Gosselin told Reuters.
White House officials were not immediately available to comment. The Pentagon also said it could not confirm the reports.
NATO said it was checking reports of the capture and said they could take some time to confirm.
“We are checking and assessing the situation,” a NATO official said. “Clearly these are very significant developments, which will take time to confirm. If it is true, then this is truly a historic day for the people of Libya.”
NTC leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil is due to address the Libyan nation shortly, according to the Free Libya TV station.