How Gadhafi’s capture unfolded during siege of Sirte

By Phoebe Connelly | The Envoy – 6 hrs ago

Revolutionary fighters celebrate the capture of Sirte, Libya, Thusday, Oct. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)

The world only learned gradually this morning of the death of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. But now multiple news outlets are piecing together the dramatic account of Gadhafi's final moments.

Jalal al-Galal, a spokesman for the rebels' provisional governing alliance, the National Transitional Council told Reuters, that Gadhafi "was killed in an attack by the fighters. There is footage of that." Gadhafi is now officially the first leader killed as a result of the Arab Spring uprisings, as the Associated Press notes in its obituary of the leader.

According to reports from several sources, Gadhafi was fleeing a NATO-led rebel attack on the former leader's hometown of Sirte, which had been a last remaining stronghold for Gadhafi forces. According to the Reuters report, the rebels found the former Libyan strongman hiding in a hole in the ground; the rebel fighter who found Gadhafi said that the Libyan leader repeated "Don't shoot, don't shoot" upon his capture. The BBC reported that the same rebel fighter was "brandishing" a golden pistol which he said belonged to the Libyan strongman.

ABC reported that the hole was in fact a drainage culvert; you can see pictures of the location in the broadcast clip below:

Al Jazeera English posted footage of Gadhafi's body on the street in Sirte. The Guardian has posted a longer version of the same clip. You can watch the footage below, but readers should be warned that it is very graphic:

Al Jazeera English also broadcast an obituary of the former Libyan leader, with clips spanning his 42 years in power--including a final video where he threatened to use "massive violence to quash protesters" who had taken to the streets of Libya as part of the Arab Spring uprising.

You can watch the video below:

Finally, a raw video has surfaced of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton getting the initial unconfirmed report of Gadhafi's death during her visit to Afghanistan. You can watch that footage below: