Senior Libyan provisional government officials say former leader Moammar Gadhafi has been killed by government troops who crushed remaining resistance by Gadhafi loyalists in his hometown of Sirte.

Several National Transitional Council officials in Tripoli say NTC forces shot and killed Gadhafi and took custody of his body Thursday, during a final assault on his loyalists in Sirte. The circumstances of the shooting were not clear. Images of a bloodied corpse that resembled Gadhafi were broadcast on global television networks.

Libya's NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil Is expected to address the nation soon. NATO has not confirmed Gadhafi's death but says its warplanes attacked two vehicles of pro-Gadhafi forces that were maneuvering around Sirte on Thursday. The United States also said it could not confirm the former Libyan leader's death.

NTC officials have said they will declare the country liberated after Sirte is fully under their control. Sirte, a coastal town 360 kilometers east of Tripoli, was the last stronghold of Gadhafi loyalists after provisional fighters captured the desert town of Bani Walid earlier this week.

NTC fighters in Sirte fired celebratory shots into the air and hoisted the new national flag in the city Thursday.