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International News Title: Gaddafi Has Fled to Venezuela Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has fled Libya and may be heading for Venezuela, William Hague said today. The Foreign Secretary said he had seen 'information' that suggests Gaddafi is on his way to the South American country - as Libya was up in flames amid increasingly bloody battles between protesters and security forces. Libyan fighter jets and helicopters reportedly fired on protesters in the capital Tripoli, with indiscriminate bombing runs leaving 'many, many dead'. One protester told Al Jazeera:'What we are witnessing today is unimaginable. Warplanes and helicopters are indiscriminately bombing one area after another. There are many, many dead. 'Our people are dying. It is the policy of scorched earth,'he said. 'Anyone who moves, even if they are in their car they will hit you.' He said the bombing runs initially targeted a funeral procession, and the Navy was also reportedly shelling the city. Tripoli was rocked by gunfire with government buildings ablaze, amid reports of a massacre that left 60 dead in the city's Green Square. Security forces appeared to be preparing a major assault in the capital tonight, as state TV said troops had 'stormed the hideouts of the saboteurs'. Snipers took up positions on rooftops and jets swooped low over rooftops, apparently trying to stop more opposition activists joining those who are already overwhelming the city. The second city Benghazi was also said to be 'totally out of control', with residents reporting numerous explosions and teenagers roaming the streets with assault rifles. Even Gaddafi's own Libyan diplomats at the UN are calling for him to step down. Deputy Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi said that if the dictator does not relinquish power, 'the Libyan people will get rid of him'. Libyan fighter pilots also fled to Malta after being told to fire on civilians and border guards at the boundary with Egypt have reportedly abandoned their posts. But officials in Venezuela, where president Hugo Chavez is an ally of the Libyan dictator, denied any suggestions that Gaddafi was seeking refuge there. Information minister Andres Izarra said the reports were 'false' . Mr Hague spoke after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday which sharply condemned Libyan authorities for their crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. 'I have seen some information that suggests he is on his way there [Venezuela] at the moment,' he said. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton dismissed Hague's claim, saying she knew nothing about it and other officials described the report as 'rumours'. An analyst for London-based consultancy Control Risks said the use of military aircraft on his own people indicated the end was approaching for Muammar Gaddafi. 'These really seem to be last, desperate acts. If you're bombing your own capital, it's really hard to see how you can survive,' said Julien Barnes-Dacey, Control Risks' Middle East analyst. 'But I think Gaddafi is going to put up a fight.' Protesters appear to have gained a foothold in Tripoli today as banks and government buildings were looted while demonstrators have claimed they have taken control of the second city Benghazi. It is thought up to 400 people may have died in the unrest with dozens more reported killed in Tripoli as protests reached the capital for the first time and army units were said to have defected to the opposition. The Libyan justice minister has now resigned in protest at the 'excessive use of violence' against the protesters, according to the Quryna newspaper, while two fleeing Libyan fighter jet pilots landed their aircraft in Malta today. The pilots asked for political asylum from the air before landing their Mirage jets at Malta International Airport shortly after two civilian helicopters landed carrying seven French citizens. A source said the fighter pilots had left from a base near Tripoli and had flown low over Libyan airspace to avoid detection. It was a sign of the deepening crisis in Libya as the country's own diplomats at the UN in New York said Gaddafi should go. Deputy Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi also urged the international community to impose a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent mercenaries, weapons and other supplies from reaching Gadhafi and his security forces. The diplomat says the Libyan delegation is also urging the International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes against humanity committed against the Libyan people during the current protests. A coalition of Libyan Islamic leaders has issued a fatwa telling all Muslims it is their duty to rebel against the Libyan leadership and demanding the release of all jailed protesters.
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