▁near ▁Tri pol i ▁International ▁Airport . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁loyal ist - h eld ▁area ▁in ▁greater ▁Tri pol i ▁had ▁been ▁reduced ▁to ▁just ▁one ▁comp ound . ▁▁ 2 8 ▁August ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁battle , ▁N LA ▁forces ▁launched ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁last ▁remaining ▁loyal ist ▁base ▁in ▁Sal ah ed din , ▁a ▁sub urb ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁Tri pol i ▁and ▁took ▁it ▁after ▁seven ▁hours ▁of ▁fighting . ▁ ▁Operation ▁Mer ma id ▁Da wn ▁plans ▁and ▁a ims ▁In ▁the ▁weeks ▁following ▁the ▁battle , ▁the ▁reb els ' ▁plans ▁to ▁take ▁Tri pol i ▁were ▁revealed . ▁The ▁National ▁Trans itional ▁Council ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁re bel ▁cells ▁inside ▁Tri pol i , ▁including ▁employees ▁of ▁the ▁G add af i ▁government ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁the ▁opposition ' s ▁cause . ▁Offic ers ▁within ▁G add af i ' s ▁military ▁and ▁intelligence ▁services ▁gathered ▁data ▁on ▁memory ▁cards ▁and ▁sent ▁them ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁N TC ▁in ▁Beng h azi . ▁The ▁data ▁contained ▁in valu able ▁information ▁on ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁regime , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁people ▁working ▁in ▁various ▁facilities ▁and ▁the ▁military ▁capabilities ▁of ▁loyal ist ▁forces ▁based ▁in ▁Tri pol i . ▁The ▁plan ▁was ▁reported ly ▁two ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁making . ▁ ▁When ▁re bel ▁forces ▁advanced ▁into ▁Tri pol i ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 2 1 ▁August , ▁General ▁al - Bar