A woman leads protesters in a demonstration against the rule of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi in front of the White House in Washington Feb 19, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

Benghazi "liberated"

A Benghazi resident said security forces were confined to a compound from which snipers were firing at protesters.

"Right now, the only military presence in Benghazi is confined to the Command Centre Complex in the city. The rest of the city is liberated," he said late on Saturday.

"Thousands and thousands of people have gathered in front of Benghazi's court house ... All the revolutionary committee (local government) offices and police stations in the city have been burned," he said.

The private Quryna newspaper, which is based in Benghazi and has been linked to one of Gaddafi's sons, said 24 people were killed in Benghazi on Friday. It said security forces fired to stop protesters attacking the police headquarters and a military base where weapons were stored.

"The guards were forced to use bullets," the paper said.

In Green Square in the centre of Tripoli, next to the walled old city, several hundred people gathered on Saturday, waving portraits of Gaddafi and chanting "Our revolutionary leader!" and "We follow your path", a Reuters reporter said.

A state-controlled newspaper said the Benghazi violence was part of "the dirty plans and the conspiracies designed by America and Zionism and the traitors of the West".