Gaddafi rejects death rumours
Libyan state television showed footage of Muammar Gaddafi meeting and talking with what it said were tribal leaders in a Tripoli hotel. A presenter said the meeting took place on Wednesday.
Muammar Gaddafi has not appeared in public since 30 April, when a NATO air strike on a house in the capital killed his youngest son and three of his grandchildren.
“We tell the world: ‘those are the representatives of the Libyan tribes’,” Gaddafi said as he pointed to his visitors and then named a few of them. He was wearing a brown robe with a hat and sunglasses and sat in an armchair near a small round table.
An old man then told him: “You will be victorious.”
A projection screen behind Gaddafi showed a morning chat show on state al-Jamahirya TV. A zoom-in on the screen showed Wednesday’s date displayed in the corner.
There was no date stamp on the footage itself, and no independent confirmation that the meeting took place on Wednesday.
Read our Special reports Libya War: Strike against Gaddafi
Meanwhile, David Cameron will hold talks with Libyan rebel leaders on Thursday as fighting continues to rage on.
The Prime Minister is due to meet Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the Interim National Transitional Council, in Downing Street.
On Wednesday, a series of NATO strikes targeted Tripoli with four explosions thought to be cruise missiles.
The attacks came after rebels claimed to have captured the airport at the key western city of Misrata, driving back troops loyal to Gaddafi.
Witnesses said hundreds of people celebrated in streets that were littered with burning government tanks.