The situation in Libya is becoming increasingly confused and chaotic. There are several reports that Col Gaddafi has now left Tripoli, possibly for his hometown of Sirt or his desert base of Sabha.The east of the country is almost entirely out of the hands of the government. Col Gaddafi's hold on power is becoming weaker by the hour. In Tripoli itself, elements of the security forces are still on the streets, though the violence seems to be increasingly random.During the night, there were more brutal attacks on demonstrators who had gathered, after rumors spread that Col Gaddafi had fled the country. Hour by hour, there are reports of more defections. Almost all major tribal leaders seem to have joined the opposition, as well as important religious leaders and several senior Libyan ambassadors.