An international arrest warrant was issued against the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi yesterday as rebel fighters fought to within 50 miles of its stronghold of Tripoli.
The International Criminal Court based in The Hague, accused Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Sanoussi, crimes against humanity.
They are said to have orchestrated the killing, injury, arrest and imprisonment of hundreds of civilians during the first 12 days of the uprising against 41 years of Kadhafi rule.
The warrants in turn the three men internationally wanted suspects, potentially complicating efforts to mediate an end to more than four months of intense fighting in the North African nation.
Anti-Gaddafi forces said yesterday they had launched a new push towards Tripoli and made their biggest breakthrough this week in the southwest region of Western Mountains of the Libyan capital to reach the strategic town of Bir al- Ghanam, where they are now fighting pro-Gaddafi's forces control.
With world leaders stepping up calls to end four decades of Qaddafi's rule, warplanes from NATO again pounded targets in Tripoli, including the compound of the leader.
Libyan officials said an air strike fired two missiles targeting Gaddafi's personal bus inside the Bab al-Aziziyah compound.
The bus was burned, but no one was killed or injured, they said. Gaddafi is not considered staying in the complex.
Originally from the issue of the arrest warrant, Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said it showed that he had "lost all legitimacy."
He insisted the move should serve as a warning to go around Gaddafi they would be held accountable for crimes against civilians.
"These individuals are charged with crimes against humanity and should be held accountable before the judges in criminal court," Mr Hague said.
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