In southern Tripoli on Friday, several kilometers away from downtown Green Square, stands the Bab al-Azizya compound, a military complex which had accommodated Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's offices, residential houses and soldiers until it was captured by rebel troops on Tuesday.

Unlike military camps in other countries, which are mostly set up in the suburbs of a city, al-Azizya sits within a residential area, merely separated from nearby residential houses by a three-meter-high concrete wall.

Most sections of the half-meter-thick wall still stand there, but covered with many bullet holes. Several buildings outside the wall have been razed to the ground. Residents nearby had fled there many days ago.

Inside the compound, every building, including Gaddafi's two-floor office mansion, his family members' houses, and barracks, is protected independently by a wall.

Gaddafi's office mansion stands in the center of the compound, where the Libyan leader used to deliver televised speeches on the second floor.

Rebel fighters tell Xinhua that Gaddafi had been living in the mansion since 1969 until he moved his residence to a farm near an airport in Tripoli. After that, the mansion became a place where Gaddafi received foreign guests, convened important meetings and delivered televised speeches.

Inside the whole Bab al-Azizya compound, Gaddafi's office mansion was the last place where anyone with weapons was allowed to enter.

Now, the mansion has been destroyed by rebel troops' bombardment, and bullet shells, rubbles and debris are scattered on the ground. Flocks of rebel fighters went to the place, smashing and throwing away whatever they saw there to vent their rage at the Gaddafi regime.

There was a heavy fighting between Gaddafi's forces and rebels overnight Thursday near the Bab al-Azizya compound. Rebels claimed that Gaddafi might be hiding inside a building nearby, but admitted it was difficult to pinpoint his hideout before they could find the secret underground tunnels built around the compound.

Right in front of the mansion stands a huge bronze statue -- a fist clutching a U.S. fighter jet, symbolizing the Gaddafi regime's determination to resist Western countries led by the United States.

Now, the statue has become the rebel forces' trophy. The rebels believed that there is a well-designed complicated network of underground channels between Gaddafi's office mansion and the statue, which they have not completely cracked so far.

A rebel fighter said the underground network is very complicated and so far the rebels have found only three exits, one leading to the Tripoli International Airport, another one to Green Square in the city center, and the third one to a zoo near Rixos Hotel where more than 30 foreign journalists were held captive for five days.

One of the underground tunnels is about two meters wide and two meters high, installed with communication equipment like telephones. The rebel fighters have currently banned further visit to it for security concerns.

Just next to Gaddafi's office mansion, a three-floor villa where Gaddafi's third son Saadi lived was severely damaged during the fighting and the facilities inside have been smashed or taken away.

On a path between two buildings were the bodies of three government soldiers, rotten under the sun.

Outside the wall of the compound, fighting between the rebel troops and pro-Gaddafi forces is still raging on, and the deafening roar of submachine gun fire and explosions engulfed the Bab al-Azizya compound.

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