Gaddafi still untraceable, massive manhunt launched

Forty-eight hours after rebel forces stormed into Libyan capital, Tripoli, the country's strongman Muammar Gaddafi remained untraced despite NATO powers deploying a "full array" of surveillance sensors to pinpoint his hideout.

The whereabouts of the 69-year-old man, who exalted himself as brother leader of his nation, remained unknown with speculation rife over his exit strategy.

Arab media reports said Gaddafi could be in neighbouring Algeria or in his remote stronghold of Sirte in southern Libya.

Al-Jazeera said other options floating around were Angola or Zimbabwe, which are both his close regional allies. But Pentagon believes he is still holed up in his Tripoli stronghold Bab al-Aziziya, on whose fringes a fierce battle was raging which could decide the fate of the oil-rich African nation as well as its first family for the last 42 years.

For all his bluster over the past few months as battle raged over his fate Muammar, Gaddafi was mysteriously absent and silent as the Libyan rebel forces encircled him.

Gaddafi has not been seen in public in last two months. His televised diatribes has stopped and the only indication to the West that he may be holed up in his stronghold is a series of fuzzy audio recordings -- the most recent of them on Saturday night in which he vowed not to leave Libya till the end.

Even his son Saif ul-Islam, who surfaced dramatically today rubbishing reports of his capture to take foreign newsmen on a tour of Bab al-Aziziya gave no inkling of his father's whereabouts.

The leader of the rebel movement Mustafa Abdul-Jalil admitted that he too did not know if Gaddafi was holded up inside the compound or had fled the country.