Sirte: Fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son Mutassim has been detained in Sirte, National Transitional Council (NTC) officials have claimed.
He was reported to have been arrested trying to flee the city in a car with his family. Mutassim Gaddafi was said to be leading the defence of Sirte, the home town of Gaddafi.
Mutassim was taken to Benghazi, the power base of the NTC, on Wednesday morning for interrogation.
During the battle for Tripoli in August, it was claimed three of Gaddafi’s sons – Saif al-Islam, Saadi and Mohammed – had been seized by anti-Gaddafi fighters.
But they either escaped or the claims were incorrect.
The former dictator’s fifth son was widely reported to be leading the defence of Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte, which the interim government’s fighters say they are slowly bringing under their control.
“More than 80 percent of Sirte is now under our control. Gaddafi’s men are still in parts of the Number Two and the ‘Dollar’ neighbourhoods,” National Transitional Council commander Mustah Hamza said.
Pro-Gaddafi forces have mounted a tenacious defence of Sirte since the interim government’s forces began besieging the city on September 15.
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