DUSHANBE, October 21, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Libya''s Col Muammar Gaddafi was killed in crossfire in an assault on his birthplace of Sirte, officials say.

Acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said he had been shot in the head in an exchange between Gaddafi loyalists and National Transitional Council fighters.  He confirmed that Col Gaddafi had been taken alive, but had died before reaching hospital.

NATO''s governing body, meeting in the coming hours, is expected to declare an end to its Libyan bombing campaign.  NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that with the death of Col Gaddafi “that moment has now moved much closer.”  “After 42 years, Col Gaddafi''s rule of fear has finally come to an end,” he said.  “I call on all Libyans to put aside their differences and work together to build a brighter future.”

Mr. Jibril, number two in the National Transitional Council (NTC), held a news conference in Tripoli to confirm the colonel''s death.  “We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Muammar Gaddafi has been killed,” he said.

The BBC reports video footage suggests Col Gaddafi was dragged through the streets.  It is unclear from the footage, broadcast by al-Jazeera TV, whether he was alive or dead at the time.

Later, Mr. Jibril told journalists that a “forensic report” had concluded that the colonel had died from bullet wounds after he had been captured and driven away.  “When the car was moving it was caught in crossfire between the revolutionaries and Gaddafi forces in which he was hit by a bullet in the head,” he said, quoting from the report.  “The forensic doctor could not tell if it came from the revolutionaries or from Gaddafi''s forces.”

Earlier, some NTC fighters gave a different account of the colonel''s death, saying he had been shot by his captors when he tried to escape.

Arabic TV channels showed images of troops surrounding two large drainage pipes where the reporters said Col Gaddafi was found.

US President Barack Obama said it was a “momentous day” for Libya, now that tyranny had fallen.  He said the country had a “long and winding road towards full democracy,” but the US and other countries would stand behind Tripoli.

Col Gaddafi was toppled from power in August after 42 years in charge of the country.  He was making his last stand in Sirte alongside two of his sons, Mutassim and Saif al-Islam, according to reports.  A body officials identified as that of Mutassim has been shown on Libyan TV.

A reporter for the Reuters news agency described how the body of Mutassim -- the former national security adviser -- had been laid out on blankets on the floor of a house in the city of Misrata, while local people jostled to take pictures of the corpse with their mobile phones.

The body of Col Gaddafi was also taken to Misrata.

There are conflicting reports as to the whereabouts of Saif al-Islam.  Acting Justice Minister Mohammad al-Alagi told the AP news agency Saif al-Islam had been captured and taken to hospital with a leg wound.  But another NTC official said his whereabouts were unknown.