Clouds of thick, black smoke poured out of Moammar Gadhafi's former command centre Tuesday after rebel forces stormed into the compound, but the Libyan dictator still remains at large.
The sprawling Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli was the scene of nearly five hours of fierce gun battles Tuesday before rebels finally fought their way inside.
Rebels stomped on a bronze statue of the former dictator, and fired their guns in the air in celebration after they entered the compound.
The location, which is believed to go deep underground, is one of the places where Gadhafi was suspected to be hiding out in recent weeks.
Rebel units say they now have control of most of Tripoli, although there are pockets of resistance.
Christian Leuprecht, an associate professor of political science at Queen's University, says Gadhafi's options are limited, even if he manages to escape.
"Gadhafi's best bet is to hedge his bets inside the country, because there is not a lot of places he can go," he told CTV News Channel. "By creating chaos over the last few days, he may have been trying to create an exit to areas that are still in strong support of him and try to hide out there."
Leuprecht said outside of Libya, Gadhafi can probably only go to Zimbabwe or Angola, and neither of those countries is easily accessible.
CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer, reporting from nearby Tunisia, said the development could mark a key moment in Libya's civil war.
"This has been Gadhafi's stronghold, it is a symbol of his power and if the rebels are seen hoisting the flag and knocking the heads off Gadhafi statues then that would certainly be a defining moment," she told CTV News Channel.
On Tuesday, the Russian head of the World Chess Federation, who has known Gadhafi for years, claimed he spoke with him by telephone and he is alive and well, and still in Tripoli.
Speculation has abounded over Gadhafi's whereabouts in recent days, particularly as rebel forces finally flooded into the capital on Sunday.
Adding further confusion to the chaos in Tripoli, Gadhafi's son showed up to lead a media tour on Tuesday morning despite the fact he was believed to be in custody.
Libyan rebels had earlier said they had captured Seif al-Islam, but Gadhafi's heir apparent dismissed those claims and said his father's regime still has the power to crush the rebels and take back Tripoli.
He had shown up at the Rixos hotel, where foreign journalists are staying, and took them on a motorcade tour of parts of Tripoli still controlled by Gadhafi loyalists.
The situation underscores the confusion and lack of communication that defines the Libyan capital, where rebels are celebrating victory in Green Square while fierce pockets of Gadhafi loyalists keep up intense resistance in various areas around the city.
International security expert Alan Bell said he is surprised the rebels managed to make as much progress as they have. He said Gadhafi has an estimated 10,000 mercenaries, mostly from Africa, fighting on his side, in addition to his own troops.
The rebels, by comparison, have little training or experience.
"It is a rag-tag (rebel) army. These people had normal jobs or no jobs a month ago and now they're fighting quite a well-trained and well-equipped army," Bell told CTV's Canada AM.
Gadhafi's whereabouts are still unknown. The Libyan leader has ignored demands to step down from international leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
On Monday, audiotape recordings were released in which Gadhafi purportedly called on followers to take back the streets.
Gadhafi earlier vowed to fight to the death in Libya, but the leader hasn't been seen in some time.
Bell said, however, that it's unlikely Gadhafi has been able to leave the country.
"There's a UN embargo on air travel so anything that comes in or goes out has to be authorized by the UN, who are monitoring this. And if he went by road that's just as precarious because there's people everywhere," Bell said.
"The closest border is Tunisia and if he gets there he probably won't be allowed into Tunisia. So he's got to be (in Tripoli) and he'll probably stay there until the end."
It wasn't clear whether Seif al-Islam escaped from rebel custody, but a spokesperson, Sadeq al-Kabir, said another Gadhafi son, Mohammed, had been arrested but managed to escape home arrest and was once again free.
Though the rebels now control almost all of the west of Libya and most of Tripoli, there appears to be little communication or organization between the National Transitional Council, which is to eventually form government, and the rebels fighters on the ground.
Bell said the lack of organization and discipline could spell trouble if Gadhafi is captured by the wrong people, who may want to exact vigilante justice against the former despot.
Meanwhile those loyal to Gadhafi vowed to fight to the death.
Earlier Tuesday at Bab al-Aziziya, Gadhafi's former headquarters, more than 100 men lined up to receive guns to use to help defend the regime.
"We are here. This is our country. This is our people, and we live here, and we die here," one rebel told AP Television News. "And we are going to win, because the people are with us. That's why we are going to win. Look at them -- look at them, in the streets, everywhere!"
Despite the celebrations in Green Square, even rebels admitted the war is not yet over so long as Gadhafi is free.
Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Rahman, who was in Tripoli, said the "danger is still there" as long as the longtime Libyan leader remains on the run.
He warned that pro-Gadhafi brigades are positioned on the outskirts of Tripoli and could "be in the middle of the city in half an hour."
With files from The Associated Press
