Gaddafi's Former Deputy Defects, Rebels Say

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's former right-hand man is said to have defected to the rebel fighters' side - another blow to the Libyan leader's regime.

A rebel military spokesman said former prime minister Abdel Salam Jalloud had arrived with his family in the rebel-held territory of Zintan in the Western Mountains after fleeing Tripoli.

"He has left Tripoli. He has joined the rebels," Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani said.

Another rebel official, Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, said Mr Jalloud's defection "gives us assurance that Gadhafi is weakening".

Rebel television channel Libya Awalam quoted Mr Jalloud on its news ticker as saying: "Gaddafi's regime is finished."

Mr Jalloud helped Col Gaddafi stage the 1969 coup that propelled him to power and transformed Libya from a monarchy to a republic.

He was the Libyan leader's most trusted deputy for two decades and was prime minister from 1972 to 1977.

But in the 1990s he began to clash with Col Gaddafi and after falling out of favour he retired from politics and lived under virtual house arrest.

Mr Jalloud has remained a popular figure in Libya.

His defection to the rebellion is another blow to Col Gaddafi, who is under increasing military and diplomatic pressure to quit.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, in Libya, said: "Certainly a high level defection, if it is true - and there is no reason to believe it isn't, that would really signify the whole of his power base crumbling.

"And of course, this will be music to the rebels' ears because they are planning to move on to the capital Tripoli."