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Misurata militia says it still has Gaddafi's body

Peter Cave reported this story on Friday, October 21, 2011 12:14:00

PETER CAVE: Well despite those claims by the leader of the Libyan Transitional Council, Mahmoud Jibril that Moamar Gaddafi was shot dead after he was captured, a spokesman for the Misrata Military Council which found Gaddafi and now has his body in their town says that's not the case.

While the outside world recognises the Benghazi-based NTC as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, armed militias from towns like Misrata, Zentan, Tripoli and other areas have questioned its authority.

Fathi Bashagha the spokesman for the Misrata Military Council says that Colonel Gaddafi died of his wounds in an ambulance while being taken to Misrata. He says that after DNA testing the body will be buried later today.

Tell us what happened. How was he captured? How was he killed?

FATHI BASHAGHA: Yeah today in the morning our fighters recognised some movement in the, out of the area number two of the building number two.

So they started clearing the area and they start fighting, start shooting each other. And our fighters surrounded the area and they start shooting, shooting one guy and capture about six guys.

And they catch the Colonel Gaddafi also there. And they find that he live in a hole there. And he catch him and he get injured before we catch him, in his head.

When he catch him, he is alive. And they take him and put him in the ambulance, bus him to Misrata. And in ambulance about 30 minutes he has died.

PETER CAVE: We've had reports coming from the council which say that he was shot after he was pulled from the hole. Is that not true?

FATHI BASHAGHA: Yeah. I'm not sure from this, that I am sure as our fighter told us, that he shot before he catch, because he fighting. And I mean he fighting also with his soldiers and a lot of shelling from everywhere.

So one bullet - and if you can see the picture, you find that there is blood on his face when he capture him.

PETER CAVE: Who was it that captured him? Was it your fighters from Misrata?

FATHI BASHAGHA: Yes, from Misrata, yes.

PETER CAVE: Where has the body been taken now?

FATHI BASHAGHA: Yeah, the body is still now it's under our responsibility, under our, because we have to take DNA. The doctors and also our judges here request DNA for him. And as you know Gaddafi is requested by human being criminal so they take DNA also. They will want to DNA.

So as soon as we finish and our international community is told us that there is no new procedure or there is no anyone request to see the body or take the DNA, we will bury him.

PETER CAVE: And you expect that to be today do you, his burial?

FATHI BASHAGHA: Yeah, we will bury him, yes.

PETER CAVE: Do you have any doubts at all that it is Colonel Gaddafi?

FATHI BASHAGHA: No, no, no, no, no question. That is, our fighter he told us when he catch him he surprise, he said who you are, I don't know, was the question.

PETER CAVE: He said who are you?

FATHI BASHAGHA: Yeah, who you are because he surprised maybe, he surprised without fighters weren't attack him.

PETER CAVE: Fathi Bashagha, the spokesman for the Misrata Military Council.

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