General Abdel Fatah Younes, a former senior official in Moamer Kadhafi’s regime who defected to lead rebel forces, has been killed, according to the head of the rebel National Transitional Council.

“With all sadness, I inform you of the passing of Abdel Fatah Younes, the commander-in-chief of our rebel forces,” NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said as fresh explosions shook the centre of the capital, Tripoli.

“The person who carried out the assassination was captured,” Abdel Jalil said without elaborating.

Younes was shot and killed by an armed group while he was on his way to Benghazi after he had been called in from the front to answer questions over the military situation, Abdel Jalil said.

Source_AFP-