"The rebels have surrounded a military airbase called Mitiga in the Tajourah district. The rebels there are telling the brigades that they come in peace to avoid bloodshed. There are areas where electricity has been cut off," he told a Reuters reporter outside of Libya late on August 20.

"Tripoli as a whole has revolted ... Shouts of 'God is Greatest' are emanating from mosque minarets," said the activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the government of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on state television that small groups of rebels had entered Tripoli but had been dealt with by security forces and the city was now safe.

In an audio recording aired by the Libyan state TV, the Libyan leader said the rebels don't represent Libya, calling them ‘traitors’.

Tunisian radio quoted a Libyan rebel source in Benghazi as saying that a Venezuelan plane has landed on the island of Djerba to evacuate members of Gaddafi's family. The rebel source also claimed Gaddafi's relatives would soon leave Tunisia for the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, adding that "it was the beginning of the end of Gaddafi's rule".

The Tunisian military has denied the announcement and says Gaddafi and his family are not in Tunisia. Venezuela's deputy foreign minister also denies the report, dismissing it as a propaganda campaign.

Reuters, CNTV