Gadhafi's Dead Unconfirmed

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October 20th, 2011
09:46 AM ET



.. and John King report.
Celebrations erupt in Libya amid reports of Gadhafi capture, death

Editor's note: Tune in to AC360 at 8 p.m. ET for the latest on Gadhafi's alleged death.

(CNN) -- Libyans erupted in jubilation Thursday following unconfirmed reports that ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi may have been killed.

A "cacophony of celebration" could be heard in Tripoli as ships and cars blasted their horns and shots were fired into the air, said CNN's Dan Rivers.

"It is very, very loud -- a lot of excitement," Rivers said.

"It's a great moment," said Mahmoud Shammam, information minister for Libya's National Transitional Council. "I've been waiting for this moment for decades, and I'm thanking God that I'm alive to see this moment."

Video footage showed some cars parked on a Tripoli street as people and troops milled about the capital. Others were behind the wheel, shouting out of their windows. Passengers were hanging out of car windows and sunroofs and were gathered in the beds of pickup trucks.

The sound of cheering could be heard, along with a call to prayer, as people embraced and jumped up and down joyfully and crowds ran through the streets alongside cars.

While reports of Gadhafi's fate may be unconfirmed, "What isn't speculation is what's going on down here," Rivers said.

Outside a hotel, staff including chefs wearing their white hats gathered, dancing and waving Libyan flags.

"They're breathing a huge sigh of relief here," Rivers said. Many Libyans were concerned that a free Gadhafi might play a role in destabilizing Libya in the future, he said.

In Sirte -- Gadhafi's hometown -- video showed people gathering in celebration, some riding on the tops of cars waving Libyan flags and shooting guns in the air as horns honked.

One man, dressed in fatigues and carrying a weapon, ran up and kissed a television camera. Others chanted, danced and waved their hands in the air, some flashing the "peace" sign.

Libyan television networks displayed a cell phone photo released by Agence France-Press showing a bloodied man identified as Gadhafi.

On Wednesday, Libyan fighters said they had entered the last holdout of Gadhafi loyalists in Sirte. The NTC said it would officially declare Libya liberated when Sirte falls.

Many have suspected Gadhafi was hiding in Sirte after revolutionary forces took Tripoli in August. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged crimes against humanity and has not been seen in public in months.

Social media sites such as Twitter showed users expressing support for the Libyans and noting that if Gadhafi is dead, it would be another victory in a year that has seen the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former Tunisian President Zine El Abedine Ben Ali and the death of Osama bin Laden. Those from countries that participated in the so-called Arab Spring issued messages of support for Libyans.

CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.