The four-decade rule of deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi came to an end on Thursday after French warplanes and a U.S. Predator drone attacked a giant convoy of more than 100 four-wheel drive vehicles fleeing Sirte.

Moammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gadhafi was hiding in a drain in Sirte before he was killed. Gadhafi was found inside the hole dressed in military clothing.

When rebel fighters from the National Transitional Council pulled him out from the drain, he begged for mercy, saying, Don't shoot, don't shoot.

According to CBS News, the convoy tried to evade the aircraft by splitting into smaller parts, but at least 15 of the vehicles were hit by the airstrike which killed their occupants.

The vehicle carrying Gadhafi was damaged but not destroyed, after which he and his bodyguard vacated the vehicle and took shelter in drainage pipes running under the highway.

Gadhafi survived the NATO airstrike, but was killed by a bullet. Who shot him is still a mystery. According to a report, one of his bodyguards, who can be seen lying dead on the ground, might have killed him to spare him from being captured.

Gadhafi was pulled out of the drain... he didn't show any resistance. When he was walking he was hit by a bullet in his right arm and when he was put in a truck he did not have any other injuries,'' Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told a news conference.

Till the end, Gadhafi was equipped with a golden pistol, which has now become a prize trophy of the rebel fighters.

A gruesome video captured during the incident showed his bloodied body being dragged through the streets amid celebrating crowds.

Libya U.S.