( CNN ) -- While state TV bounced between scenes of serene concert footage and orderly rallies in support of leader Moammar Gadhafi , eyewitnesses describe a far different , far more chaotic Libya -- one with arms-toting mercenaries , demonstrators ramming stolen tanks into a military base and masked men firing guns and blasting pro-government tunes from their sport utility vehicles . Sporadic gunfire continued to ring out early Monday in parts of the North African nation , albeit a far cry from the tumult seen at other times since demonstrations and clashes began Tuesday night in Benghazi . Obtaining independent confirmation on events in Libya is very difficult . The Libyan government maintains tight control on communications and has not responded to repeated requests from CNN for access to the country . CNN has , however , interviewed numerous witnesses by phone . Several people noted that major unrest came to Gadhafi 's doorstep in the capital Tripoli for the first time on Sunday , where crowds of anti-government protesters loudly decried Libya 's current government , set fires to cars and braved gunfire by uniformed and self-styled security forces . Gunfire rang out in the capital 's streets , some of it coming from the barrel of masked men driving through the streets , said one witness -- who , like many others , is n't identified for safety reasons . A woman said she saw demonstrators running down a Tripoli street outside her window , chased by apparent mercenaries in pickup trucks . The men were firing at the demonstrators and throwing tear gas at them , according to the witness . Many families have closed their windows and turned off their lights out of fear , she said . Demonstrations , clashes and damage were especially evident around Green Square and the presidential palace , individuals on the ground told CNN . According to one person , the heavy guard detail normally positioned outside Gadhafi 's residence disappeared Sunday night . Protesters who set fire to cars in the middle of the street soon thereafter bolted after hearing gunfire , a Libyan man said . `` Someone came and said that Gadhafi 's people are in the next street , '' he said . `` We could hear the gunshots were very close . '' By early Monday , Tripoli 's streets had calmed down , though frequent gunshots could still be heard . `` Now we hear gun shots mostly -- a lot of them , '' said one man , adding that he also heard people protesting in the distance . A relative calm had also descended by then in Benghazi , Libya 's second largest city and a hotbed of anti-Gadhafi sentiment . But it was a far cry from the violence there on Sunday . The central government lost control of Benghazi , with multiple witnesses reporting that protesters took over Libya 's second-largest city with support from some military who dropped their allegiance to Gadhafi . However , his son Saif Gadhafi -- in a speech on state television early Monday -- continued to insist the military remained loyal to the ruling government and would be taking an increasingly active role in suppressing unrest in the coming days . The reported power shift followed fresh clashes that left 25 dead earlier in the day , a doctor at Benghazi 's Al Jalla Hospital said . A source at Benghazi Medical Center , the city 's other major hospital , said there were 10 people dead there Sunday . One man told CNN that uniformed troops opened fire on thousands of mourners as they passed through the streets during a funeral procession honoring those killed the previous day . Protesters later Sunday packed at least one car with explosives and sent it crashing into a compound wall at a military camp in the eastern city , eyewitnesses said . Security forces then fired on the protesters as they attempted to breach the camp . On the camp 's southern side , meanwhile , protesters drove a tank from a nearby army base in another attempt to break in , witnesses said . They have also obtained other weapons , the protester said . Libyan state television reported the camp has been defended , and that protesters were being warned on loudspeakers not to attack the compound . The network called it an act of sabotage . The protester said that the military camp is significant because it houses Gadhafi 's eastern palace . `` It 's a symbol of his dominance here , '' he said . `` And it 's the last symbol , basically . '' A protester said some fellow anti-government demonstrators had other weapons . Saif Gadhafi accused criminal elements of stealing arms and firing them in an attempt to cast blame on military and security forces . Medical sources and other sources have said that at least 219 had died nationwide in the violence . But Saif Gadhafi said that international media had overstated the death toll . He also claimed foreign nationals and `` illegal immigrants '' had stirred the uprising , with some dissenters attacking government installations as well as stealing caches of weapons . CNN 's Brian Walker , Ben Brumfield and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report .
Witnesses in Tripoli and Benghazi report on tumult ; CNN ca n't confirm their accounts . Masked men blasted pro-government music and fired guns in Tripoli , witnesses say . Anti-government protesters set fire to cars and attacked a military base in Benghazi . The Libyan army is trying to retake the city from rebels who have taken over parts of it since last week.