Key aide to Gadhafi reportedly captured

TRIPOLI, Libya - The Libyan government on Saturday announced the capture of Moammar Gadhafi's former spokesman outside a besieged town, as the oil-rich North African nation marked the anniversary of the ousted dictator's death.

The statement by the prime minister's office said Moussa Ibrahim, who became the international face of the regime in its final months, was captured as he was trying to flee Bani Walid. The town has been the site of fierce fighting between pro-government forces and fighters holed up in what was once a stronghold for Gadhafi supporters.

"He is now being transported to Tripoli so that the investigation by relevant authorities can begin," the statement from the prime minister's office said.

The statement did not say what charges Ibrahim would face, but Libyan officials in the past have suggested he might be accused of incitement and disseminating false information.

A Facebook page purporting to belong to Ibrahim denied the capture, saying it was an effort to divert attention away from the "atrocities" being committed by the Libyan forces besieging Bani Walid. The site and statement could not be independently confirmed, but hours after the announcement of his capture, Ibrahim had not been seen in public.

Violence has flared periodically over the last year in Bani Walid, the most significant town in Libya still resisting the country's new authorities since the end of the country's civil war last year.

The government statement added that Ibrahim was captured at one of the checkpoints outside Bani Walid.