Forces loyal to Gaddafi stand in Tripoli against the rebels

Remnants of forces still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi staged a desperate stand in Tripoli on Tuesday as rebels fought their way into the capital, but the whereabouts of the veteran leader was a mystery, the Mail and Guardian Online reports.

Muammer Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, has not been arrested by rebels - despite earlier reports - and is still in Tripoli. Several journalists, including an AFP and BBC correspondent, saw Saif al-Islam in Gaddafi's residential complex in the capital.

When asked if his father was still in Tripoli, Saif replied: "Of course". "I am here to refute the lies," Gaddafi's son said, referring to reports of his arrest, the BBC reports.

"We broke the backbone of the rebels," he said. "It was a trap. We gave them a hard time. So we are winning," Saif al-Islam mentioned.