▁and ▁immediately ▁advanced ▁into ▁the ▁Ger gra ish ▁area ▁of ▁Central ▁Tri pol i . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁night - time ▁press ▁conference , ▁government al ▁sp okes man ▁M ous sa ▁I bra him ▁stated ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁killed ▁and ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁wounded ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁for ▁Tri pol i ; ▁he ▁bl amed ▁the ▁death ▁to ll ▁on ▁NAT O . ▁ ▁C iv ili ans ▁were ▁reported ly ▁celebr ating ▁in ▁Tri pol i ' s ▁streets ▁as ▁re bel ▁forces ▁entered ▁the ▁city ▁with ▁little ▁resistance . ▁A ▁senior ▁re bel ▁official , ▁F ath i ▁al - B aja , ▁told ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁his ▁group ' s ▁rapid ▁advance ▁was ▁that ▁Moh ammed ▁E sh kal , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Moh ammed ▁Meg ray ef ▁Brigade ▁which ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁city , ▁was ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁the ▁reb els ▁since ▁the ▁regime ▁had ▁killed ▁his ▁cousin ▁years ▁earlier , ▁such ▁that ▁when ▁reb els ▁reached ▁the ▁gates ▁of ▁Tri pol i , ▁the ▁batt alion ▁prompt ly ▁surrender ed , ▁allowing ▁the ▁reb els ▁to ▁swe ep ▁into ▁the ▁capital ▁with ▁relative ▁ease , ▁facing ▁little ▁resistance . H arding , ▁Luke ; ▁Dav ies , ▁L iz zy ▁( 2 2 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 ). ▁" Lib ya : ▁G add af i ▁Forces ▁Battle ▁On ▁After ▁Reb els ▁Enter ▁Tri pol