Cornered Gaddafi Vows to Fight On; Where is His Base?

In a fiery message telecast on Syria-based television channel on Thursday, the fugitive Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi vowed to come back and defend his country from the 'colonial power'.

Speaking From a secret location on Thursday, the deposed ruler said that his army is heavily equipped and prepared for a battle and guerilla attack against his opponents. He warns Libya to be engulfed in flames and said the nation's tribes will never allow foreign intervention. We will not surrender. We are not women and we are going to keep on fighting, the toppled leader remarked in his announcement.

As the world is celebrating the fall of the Gaddafi regime, people across the globe are not sure where he is. The strongman, who ruled Libya for 42-years, is on the run.

Where is Gaddafi Hiding?

Despite the rebel advancement, some reports citing military leaders and western officials suggest that he is still in Libya and that he might be planning to operate from his birthplace near to Sirte.

Sirte is home of Gaddafi's own tribe Qadhadfa and the Magariha. As an air-base is nearly located, Sirte can be a possible option for Gaddafi to hide.

Other reports suggest that Bani Walid, a desert city which is 150 km south of Tripoli, might have given shelter to the fugitive leader. In a separate report from the chiefs of the Warfalla tribe, which is the stronghold of Bani Walid, it is said that the desert city has given protection to the leader. However, the report is yet to be confirmed.

Another possible place for Gaddafi's hide-out is Sabha, a desert town located almost 200 miles away from the capital. The inhabitants belong to Qadhadfa tribe and remained loyal to him during his trying time. Again, no authentic report supporting Gaddafi's stay in that town has been found.

His chances to stay in Tripoli itself cannot be ignored entirely. Not very long ago, his son Saif al-Islam stated that they are still in Tripoli and that his father is doing well. We are going to die in our land, he insisted. He maintained that his family is in touch with the loyalists from Bani Walid who will help them to resurface. No one is going to surrender, he insisted.

However, in a separate report form Tripoli, officials claimed that they have concrete information that Gaddafi and few of his family members had fled to Algeria last week. However, a local Algerian newspaper reported that the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika did not entertain the plea of the Libyan ruler to enter his country by simply avoiding his call. Report about this call is also not confirmed yet, but some reports about his family members sheltering in Algeria have surfaced.

Refusal from Algeria leaves Gaddafi with few options. Speculations say he might ask for sanctuary in countries like Zimbabwe, Chad, Venezuela, and Sudan.