The World Bank has recognized Libya’s provisional authority and will work to assist in the country’s transition, while the United States says one of Moammar Gadhafi’s sons is being held under house arrest in neighboring Niger.

The World Bank said in a statement Tuesday its decision is based on events in Libya and the views of its member countries. It also said it has been asked to examine the need for repairs to Libya’s water, energy and transportation sectors, and to help the country’s banking sector in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund.

The U.S. State Department said Mr. Gadahi’s son, Saadi, is being detained in a state guest house in Niger, after crossing into the country earlier this week. A State Department spokeswoman said it is “appropriate” for Niger and Libya’s National Transitional Council to work together on the issue, and that it is up to the NTC to decide how to proceed.

Officials in Niger say 32 people close to Mr. Gadhafi have fled to the central African nation since September 2.

Meanwhile, residents of one of Mr. Gadhafi’s remaining strongholds fled Tuesday as NATO and NTC fighters continued to attack pro-Gadhafi forces. Witnesses say dozens of cars left the town of Bani Walid while NATO planes flew overhead.

NATO said Tuesday its airstrikes a day earlier near Sirte, another Gadhafi stronghold, struck one radar system, eight surface-to-air missile systems, five surface-to-air missile trailers, an armed vehicle and two command vehicles.

Also Tuesday, Amnesty International issued a report saying both sides of the conflict have committed war crimes during the six-month civil war. The report mainly details crimes against civilians committed by Gadhafi loyalists, but it also documents brutal revenge crimes committed by some provisional authority forces when loyalist fighters were ejected from eastern Libya.