Under-pressure NTC orders Gadaffi death probe

Under rising pressure from his Western backers, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil told a news conference in Benghazi that the National Transitional Council (NTC) has formed a committee to investigate Thursday's killing.

Regime officials have said initial findings suggest that Colonel Gadaffi was killed in the crossfire as militants clashed with Nato-backed forces seizing control of his hometown of Sirte.

But gruesome video and pictures suggest that he was summarily executed by NTC gunmen after being shot in the stomach and beaten.

Concern about this and other gross human rights violations by NTC forces surrounded the "declaration of liberation" by NTC chiefs on Sunday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned yesterday of a "trend of killings, looting and other abuses" after finding 53 decomposing bodies, apparently of Col Gadaffi's supporters, some of whom had apparently been killed by NTC soldiers.

The bodies were found on the lawn of the Mahari hotel in Sirte. Some had their hands bound.

HRW researcher Peter Bouckaert said the hotel had come under the control of fighters from Misrata before the killings took place.

"This latest massacre seems part of a trend of killings, looting and other abuses committed by armed anti-Gadaffi fighters who consider themselves above the law," Mr Bouckaert said.

"It is imperative that the transitional authorities take action to rein in these groups."

foreigneditor@peoples-press.com