CLIMAX

Rebels Give Gaddafi Loyalists Deadline

Rebels say 50,000 have died in Libyan war.

If you’re Muammar Gaddafi, you probably don’t want to go home again. Rebels have pledged to attack the embattled leader’s hometown of Sirte in the next few days. Meanwhile, NATO and the rebels continue to negotiate with Gaddafi loyalists currently in the town. The rebels aim to finish negotiations Saturday, the last day of the holiday Eid, and then act quickly. NATO believes that Sirte loyalists may surrender preemptively. CNN reports that a rebel commander said that 50,000 fighters and civilians have been killed in the six-month war. The rebels continue to say that they have a “good idea” where Gaddafi is, and that they will catch him soon. On Monday, it was revealed that Gaddafi’s wife and three kids fled to Algeria, and his daughter Aisha is reported to have given birth shortly after entering the country.