National Transitional Council officials in Libya say provisional fighters have captured former leader Moammar Gadhafi, but the reports have not been independently confirmed.

Military leaders in the NTC say Mr. Gadhafi was taken into custody on Thursday, shortly after provisional fighters gained control of his hometown of Sirte. The U.S. State Department says it cannot confirm the capture.

But initial reports indicate Mr. Gadhafi was captured while trying to flee in a convoy that was leaving Sirte. Reuters news quotes an NTC official who says Mr. Gadhafi was wounded in both legs.

Earlier Thursday, revolutionary fighters made a final push into Sirte, where they have spent weeks battling well-armed Gadhafi loyalists.

The coastal town located 360 kilometers east of Tripoli was the last significant stronghold for Gadhafi loyalists. NTC officials have said the capture of Sirte would allow them to declare the country liberated, because it would mean the provisional government controlled all of Libya's ports and harbors.

It had been the last significant stronghold for his supporters, after provisional fighters gained control of the desert town of Bani Walid earlier this week.

Television video has shown cheering NTC fighters in Sirte firing celebratory shots into the air and hoisting the new national flag in the city.