Muammar Gaddafi 'buried in desert grave at dawn'

Muammar Gaddafi

The bodies of ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his son Mutassim and a top aide have been buried in secret in the desert, Libyan officials say.

A National Transitional Council (NTC) official told the BBC the bodies were buried at dawn in an unknown location.

This follows days of apparent uncertainty among the new leadership about what to do with the bodies.

Gaddafi's family wanted them buried outside the former leader's hometown of Sirte.

NTC leaders had expressed a preference for a secret burial.
Bound by Fatwa

Officials have given few details of the ceremony.

They say it took place early on Tuesday. A few relatives and officials were in attendance and Islamic prayers were read.
Libya's Minister for Information Mahmoud Shammam said the NTC was following a fatwa, or religious ruling.

"It says that his body should not be buried in Muslim cemeteries and should not be buried in a known place to avoid any sedition," Mr Shammam said.

An NTC official had earlier told Reuters news agency that Col Gaddafi would be buried in a "simple" ceremony with "sheikhs attending" on Tuesday.

"It will be an unknown location in the open desert," he said, adding that a burial was needed because decomposition of the body had reached the point where the "corpse cannot last any longer".

Gaddafi, Mutassim and former Defence Minister Abu Bakr Younis Jabr were killed on Thursday following the fall of Sirte, the last major pro-Gaddafi bastion.

Witnesses said the bodies had been removed late on Monday from the meat storage warehouse in Misrata where they had been on display.

The BBC was told prayers were said over the bodies before they were driven away.

"Our job is finished," a security guard at the warehouse, Salem al Mohandes, told the Arabic television station al-Jazeera. "[Gaddafi] was transferred and the military council of Misrata took him away to an unknown location."
Shrine fears

The BBC's Katya Adler in Tripoli says the question of how to dispose of Gaddafi's body has been a political minefield for the new Libyan leadership, and is the reason why it has taken four days for a decision to be taken.

Islamic tradition dictates a burial should happen within a day of the death.

But the NTC leadership was concerned that any public grave could become a shrine for Gaddafi loyalists or a target of hatred for those who opposed his regime, our correspondent says.

In the end, she adds, the decomposition of the body meant the NTC had to act.

Questions have been raised over the former leader's death after video footage showed him alive at the time of capture. Officials said he had been killed subsequently in a crossfire.

A post-mortem examination carried out on the 69-year-old's body on Sunday showed he had received a bullet wound to the head, medical sources said.

Acting Libyan leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil said the NTC had formed a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Meanwhile another of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam, remains at large. He is believed to have fled towards the desert border with Niger.

A Niger official said Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was travelling with ethnic Tuaregs - who were among Gaddafi's supporters.

News by BBC

"Colonel Gddafi killed in crossfire "

Dead Gaddafi

In Libya, Colonel Muammar Gddafi: Sirte officials say that the former king and his loyalists were killed in crossfire between government troops.

Acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said the interim government which the encounter between the soldiers and loyalists Gddafi shot in the head.

He confirmed that Colonel Gddafi was caught alive but died before reaching hospital. Director of attack by NATO meeting in the next few hours to finish the bomb attacks in Libya may announce.

Phog Rasmusn Mahascivan Anders said NATO with the death of Colonel Gaddafi, opportunity is now.
He said, "Colonel by the fear of 42 years of rule finally has died. I appeal to all people for a bright future work togther. Jibril has to keep in a press conference in Tripoli by the death of Colonel confirmed. He said "We were waiting a long time for this opportunity. Muammar Gaddafi have died." Meanwhile, There is a video that shows him Gaddafi was dragged on the streets.

Al - Jazeera television aired video footage that it is not known at that time he was alive or dead.
Jibril later told reporters that "Forensik test" has been confirmed that Colonel Gaddafi has died of bullet injuries.

The reports quoted as saying, "When the car was going encounter between the soldiers of the revolutionaries and Gaddafi a bullet was struck in his head."

As per the Acting Prime Minister could not tell doctors that these revolutionaries shot on behalf of engaged by any military or the pill has only taken their lives.

Earlier the special soilders of the death Colonel was separate jaisinghani's statement where he says that when he was running away if they were trying to catch them only those who had shot.

A soldier told the BBC that the colonel had hidden in a pit and shot them, killing the former king of the solicitation.

The fighter also see a golden pistol, which according to him belonged to Gaddafi.

News by BBC