The EnvoyGadhafi reported dead
The United States said Thursday it is checking claims by members of Libyan's transitional forces that Moammar Gadhafi has died in a NATO attack on his convoy in Sirte.
Gadhafi was alleged to have died after being "wounded in the head and legs as he tried to flee in a convoy that came under attack from NATO warplanes at dawn," Reuters reported, citing a senior official with Libya's National Transitional Council.
A senior Obama administration official told Reuters the United States is trying to confirm the reports.
"We're working on it," the senior U.S. official told Reuters.
The New York Times has this account from a BBC reporter, but says it still does not have confirmation that Gadhafi has been captured or killed:
Gabriel Gatehouse, a BBC News correspondent in Surt, reports that a fighter who claims to have been present as Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was captured on Thursday, said that the deposed Libyan leader was found hiding in a hole and said simply "Don't shoot." The fighter was "brandishing a golden pistol" which he said had belonged to Colonel Qaddafi, The BBC reports.
Agence France Press published cell phone video photos of Gadhafi's bloodied face; you can view the photo after the jump.
The unconfirmed reports of Gadhafi's death came as Libyan transitional forces held celebrations after taking Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte Thursday after a bitter two month standoff. The Libyan capital of Tripoli fell to rebel forces in August.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit to Libya earlier this week, expressed the wish that Gadhafi be killed or captured.
Al Jazeera English has released a video obituary of the former Libyan leader:
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
