TRIPOLI, Libya - Libyans using bulldozers have begun tearing down the walls surrounding Moammar Gadhafi's main Tripoli compound, known as Bab al-Aziziya.

Ahmad Ghargory, the commander of a revolutionary brigade, says forces had been busy with the war but now it's time "to tear down this symbol of tyranny."

He says the area will be turned into a public park. The compound has long been seen as the symbolic heart of Gadhafi's rule.

The sprawling, fortress-like compound was one of the main targets for NATO airstrikes during the months leading to Gadhafi's ouster in late August. Libyan fighters overran the area after days of fierce fighting for the capital.