TRIPOLI – Libyan rebels have declared the Qadhafi era over after storming Tripoli, but one of the veteran strongman's sons insisted the battle was far from done as he defiantly refuted reports of his arrest.
Exultant rebel fighters packed in trucks and cars have since Sunday streamed across the capital of the oil-rich North African state, seizing control of Muammer Qadhafi's state television network and Tripoli's seaside Green Square.
But the euphoria of their lightning entry into the heart of the capital with seemingly little resistance has given way to a sense of caution and warnings that the battle to oust Qadhafi is far from won.
US President Barack Obama called for "an inclusive transition" in Libya, demanding that Qadhafi "explicitly" give up power and cautioned the rebels that their struggles were "not over yet.
French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet, who on Monday had declared "The regime has fallen, the turnaround is total", said on France Inter radio Tuesday: "In Libya the situation is not totally at an end, far from it."
Meanwhile, a ship chartered to evacuate around 300 foreigners from Tripoli has been delayed due to the poor security situation, the International Organization for Migration said.
With gunfire still crackling around Tripoli, loyalist snipers hiding on rooftops and the fact the rebels have been unable to penetrate Qadhafi's tightly-guarded Bab al-Azizya compound, there is a growing sense that their advance has begun to stutter.
The opposition's image was also dented when its claims that Qadhafi's son Saif al-Islam had been arrested were refuted by none other than the man himself, who appeared before cheering armed loyalists outside Bab al-Azizya in the early hours of Tuesday.
"Tripoli is under our control. Everyone should rest assured. All is well in Tripoli," Saif told journalists at the compound, smiling broadly and flashing the V for victory sign.
"I am here to refute the lies," the 39-year-old said about reports of his arrest, and accused the West of waging a "technological and media war to cause chaos and terror in Libya."
Saif, who like his father is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, claimed the insurgents had suffered "heavy casualties" on Monday when they attempted to storm the Bab al-Azizya compound in the city's south.
The opposition forces also suffered another setback when Mohammed Qadhafi, the leader's eldest son, escaped from house arrest, according to the Libyan ambassador to Washington in an interview with CNN.
On the battlefront, the rebels said they had cut off a column of pro-Qadhafi troops attempting to march on Tripoli from the city of Sirte, the leader's hometown.
But the rebels, whose supply lines are very thinly spread, acknowledge they cannot advance until thousands of reinforcements arrive from around Libya.
The mood around the iconic Green Square, renamed "Martyrs Square" by the rebels, had been joyous on Sunday night, with fighters and their supporters dancing and waving the red, black and green flag of anti-regime forces.
But Tripoli residents are palpably nervous as the end game plays out.
The situation remained tense at the Rixos hotel, home to some 30 foreign correspondents, where water and power supplies were cut on Monday while pro-Qadhafi soldiers stood guard outside the building.
The rebels are hesitant about how to secure the parts of Tripoli not already under their control: whether to advance through broad boulevards, where they could be vulnerable to sniper fire, or to fight through narrow back streets.
"The Qadhafi era is over," rebel chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil told a news conference in the anti-Qadhafi stronghold of Benghazi, eastern Libya.
But while thanking NATO for its military support, he conceded that not all of Tripoli was under rebel control and cautioned that "the real moment of victory is when Qadhafi is captured".
Abdel Jalil also expressed hope that Qadhafi would be "captured alive so that he will be given a fair trial".
After so long in power, Qadhafi is resisting calls from Obama and other world leaders to step down.
Qadhafi's whereabouts are unknown but the White House said there was no indication that the 69-year-old leader, who has ruled Libya with an iron fist since 1969, had left Tripoli.
Qadhafi broadcast three defiant audio messages on Sunday, vowing he would never surrender and urging the people of Tripoli to "purge the capital". But he has not been seen in public for weeks as the rebels have crept ever closer.
