Tripoli Airport now under control of rebel forces

Although the rebels took the airport earlier in the week there had been sporadic firing from positions in the area around the airfield and damage had been caused to some of the aircraft still there.

Arabian Aerospace reported earlier in the week that an Afriqiyah A-300 aircraft used as a VVIP jet had been destroyed in a fire on the apron.

Other news agencies have been reporting damage to other aircraft including a Boeing passenger jet belonging to Libyan Airlines.

The airport district Qasr bin Ghashir, is about 32 kilometres south of Tripoli and is recognised as an important foothold for the rebel forces as regime loyalist troops had been shelling the airport from the area.

Associated Press reported this morning that Omar al-Ghuzayl, the rebel field commander now in charge of forces at Tripoli's International Airport as saying: "You can say that bin Ghashir has been liberated from Al Gaddafi soldiers,. We've been able to push them completely outside Tripoli."

If the airport is clear of shelling it is beleived the runways will be suitable for bringing urgent humanitarian air to assist the rebels in clearing the damage to the capital and providing food, medical aid and water to the population as a transitional government is set up.