Libyan army, allied forces push into Bani Walid

TRIPOLI - The Libyan army, and allied forces known as "Libya Shield" on Tuesday pushed into the former regime's bastion of Bani Walid and seized control of strategic buildings.

A front-line officer from the "Libya Shield" told Xinhua that the army and allied forces have reached the city center and gained control of the airport, radio station, hospital and other public facilities.

The new Libyan national anthem was played on the radio for the first time in the "last stronghold of the pro-Gaddafi forces," some 140 km southeast of Tripoli, said the officer on condition of anonymity.

Libya was declared "liberated " by the Transitional National Council (TNC) three days after Gaddafi was arrested and killed on October 20, 2011. But local media reported that there were more than 1,000 pro-Gaddafi militiamen still operating in Bani Walid.