Gadhafi may hide in SW Libyan border

Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters use a tank to fire on pro-Gaddafi fighters as they advance towards the centre of Sirte October 10, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

TRIPOLI - Fallen Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi might be hiding in the triangle area in southwestern Libya that borders Niger and Algeria, a member of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) said Monday.

At a press conference in the capital Tripoli, NTC member Moussa al-Koni said the triangle area is in fact beyond the control of the country, which might give space for Gadhafi and his loyalists to go back and forth around the border.

The area is difficult in geography with sand dunes and mountains; and there is a floating population there, said al-Koni.

"The best of my knowledge is that Gadhafi can only be in the triangle area in order to be able to escape and move quickly and safely to Algeria or Niger or Mali," al-Koni said.

Al-Koni, who represents the Tuareg minority in the council, meanwhile dismissed reports saying that the Tuareg tribe was harboring members of the Gadhafi regime.

He called on the international community to resort to helicopters and unmanned jets in searching for Gadhafi in the region, due to the lack of technical capabilities of the Tuareg military.

Moreover, al-Koni said the NTC has met and decided to recognize the National Council which is formed by Syrian opposition in Turkey as the sole legitimate government of Syria which has also been witnessing a months-old political crisis. But there is yet to be an official NTC announcement on that.