Libya News: NTC Declares Victory in Bani Walid as Battle for Sirte Rages

Libya's revolutionary army has captured the city of Bani Walid, one of the last cities that was still under the control of the pro-Gadhafi resistance.

Since the start of the Libya uprising in February, Bani Walid has proved to be one of the toughest battles of the campaign. The siege of the city has lasted for six weeks, but a weekend push saw the quick capture of the city's hospital, market and finally the city by using a pincer tactic and approach from the north and south.

The city of Bani Walid has been completely liberated, stated Saif al-Lasi, a commander of the National Transitional Council's Zliten Brigade.

Shouts of Allahu Akhbar (God is Greatest) were heard around the city on Monday, according to the Agence France Presse, and the victorious fighters fired their guns into the air in celebration.

Gadhafi's troops left their vehicles behind and even changed into civilian clothing so they would be hard to find, added NTC Bani Walid commander Musa Yunis.

The National Liberation Army then replaced the green flags of Moammar Gadhafi's government with the red, black and green flag of the Kingdom of Libya over Bani Walid's mosques. They have also been taking prisoners, including the family of Gadhafi spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim, according to the NTC.

Ibrahim and Gadhafi's whereabouts are still unknown.

The Libyan fighters are also in the midst of the battle for Sirte, the city were Gadhafi was born and raised in a Bedouin tent. Loyalist troops are still in control of the center of the city and have been putting up a strong resistance to the surrounding revolutionaries.

Despite that, the NTC fighters have destroyed a mansion once owned and then abandoned by Gadhafi outside of Sirte. The palatial residence once treated guests with a massage parlor and in-house haircuts, but now lies in a pile of rubble.

The National Transitional Council has said that once Sirte is captured, they will be ready to declare victory and start planning the next government of Libya. The remaining pro-Gadhafi force has been pushed back to a small perimeter in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Sirte, where they are using building-top snipers and machine guns to defend their position.

Anywhere from 800 to 2,000 civilians have been killed in one month long battle, according to the NTC and loyalists respectively. Additionally, a total of about 250 anti-Gadhafi National Liberation Army soldiers have died, while the number of Gadhafi loyalists killed is unknown.