Libyan pilots defect. More diplomats resign, fighting intensifies in the streets of major cities

The days are over for Gaddafi we hope but there are reports of many being killed.  Some military personnel have refused to drop bombs on civilians and have fled to Malta in their aircraft. The Italian air force have been put on alert as the fear was that they were attacking.  The military seems to be splitting and Gaddafi's regime seems doomed.  Thousands of African mercenaries have been brought in to crush the uprising.

Rumors that Gaddafi is on his way to Venezuela have been denied by Venezuela.

Some blogs from the BBC describing events.

1. 1754: Al-Jazeera is quoting Tripoli residents as saying Libyan warplanes are bombing locations in the capital. It's important to note that while we have reliable reports of fires in Tripoli, as well as aircraft overhead, it is not possible to confirm such reports at this stage.
2. 1746: Arab-American Nasr Anaizi tweets: "Civilians marching from #Mesrata toward #Tripoli are being fired upon from Apache helicopters. Real massacres are taking place in #Libya."
3. 1742: All Italian air bases have been placed on maximum alert, the Italian news agency Ansa reports. The alert comes after two Libyan fighter jets apparently fleeing unrest in Libya landed in nearby Malta.
4. 1740: Nusrati adds: "My uncle is a doctor in a hospital in Tripoli and he says many bodies were carried in to the hospital last night and today. People are taking it in turns to defend their streets. Half go out protesting, and the other half stay behind to protect their properties."
5. 1737: Libyan-born Nusrati (not his real name), who has recently moved from the UK back to the Middle East, has been receiving information about the escalating situation in the country: "There has been live fire outside my uncle's apartment in Tripoli. Everyone was out marching in Green Square. There were trucks handing out meat and fish and other luxury goods to anyone who is a pro-Gadaffi supporter. People were even being promised university places," he told the BBC.
6. 1728: An eyewitness in Tripoli has told the BBC the suburbs of Fashloom and Zawia al-Dahmani have been cordoned off by security. These suburbs are about a 10-minute drive from the city centre. He saw protesters on the streets - and flames and smoke rising from the area. Aircraft can be heard flying overhead in the city.
7. 1725: Zubin Gulati in Tripoli, Libya, tweets: "Cars honking Police sirens Small weapons fire in Omar Mukhtar Street in #Tripoli #Libya"
8. 1721: The US Department of State has issued a new travel warning for Libya. It advises citizens to defer all travel to Libya, while those in Libya should "minimise overall travel in-country, exercise extreme caution when travelling, and limit all travel after dark". It says US citizens not leaving Libya should make preparations to seek shelter where they are.
9. 1719: Col Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, has ordered the formation of an investigation committee, headed by a Libyan judge with the participation of Libyan and foreign rights groups, to investigate the circumstances of the deaths in the recent protests, Libyan TV has said.
10. 1716: Enough Gaddafi tweets: "Mercenaries are being released in neighborhoods, Suq Jumaa, and shooting at any group of people gathered #libya #feb17."
11. 1711: On the subject of Col Gaddafi's whereabouts, the BBC's Chloe Arnold in Algiers says a reliable reporter who went to his home in Tripoli on Monday said only a few security guards were at the gates and that there appeared to be no-one inside.

    And from Al Jazeera:

    
    7:39pm: Karl Stagno-Novarra, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Malta, reports the pilots of the jet fighters that landed there are "senior colonels", who were ordered to bomb protesters. They refused and have defected to Malta, he said.
    7:19pm: The EU Council of Foreign Ministers issues the following statement:
    

    The Council condemns the ongoing repression against demonstrators in Libya and deplores the violence and death of civilians.  The Council calls for an immediate end to the use of force against protesters and for all parties to show restraint.  Freedom of expression and the right to assemble peacefully are human rights and fundamental freedoms of every human being which must be respected and protected.

    7:16pm: The US Department of State warns citizens of the potential for "ongoing unrest" in Libya. They say:
    

    Violent clashes between protesters and security forces continue throughout Libya, including in Tripoli.  Spontaneous demonstrations, violence, and looting are possible throughout the next several days.

    7:12pm: A Libyan contact in Zuwarah tells us, via Skype:
    

    I ask Libyans abroad to move and put pressure on the regime. I want each Libyan abroad to talk to each other and to take action. All mobiles are cut and all communications are shut down and we fear that at the time of Maghreb [sunset] that the situation will be getting worse - as we don't have weapons. We must be united, have faith, and we pray that tonight will pass safely.

    7:09pm: Dutch ISP provider XS4ALL has set up an internet dial-up service for Libya.
    
    Use your modem to dial +31205350535
    username: xs4all
    password: xs4all
    7:05pm: The Libyan ambassador to Indonesia has also resigned, Al Jazeera Arabic reports.
    6:52pm: The Libyan ambassador to the United Kingdom has resigned, alongside other embassy staff. They have joined demonstrators, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
    6:46pm: Al Jazeera, alonside specialist technical investigators, have pinpointed the source of its signal blockage to a Libyan intelligence agency building, south of the capital Tripoli. The network's website has also been blocked in the country, with Libyan users getting the message: "File does not exist" when they try to access it.
    A spokesman for Al Jazeera said:
    

    The media should be able to operate freely, so all interference with our work and our broadcast signal should cease forthwith.

    6:42pm: Senior diplomatic sources tell Al Jazeera - on condition of confidentiality - that phones are being monitored and text messages jammed.  Nearly all embassies are evacuating non-essential staff, and all have been ordered by Libya's foreign ministry to close immediately - and to remain closed until Sunday.
    6:38pm: Venezuelan officials deny Gaddafi is on his way there.
    6:34pm: Reuters reports British foreign secretary William Hague says Gaddafi "may be on his way to Venezuela". On the sidelines of the EU crisis talks, he reportedly said:
    

    You asked me earlier about whether Colonel Gaddafi is in Venezuela - I have no information that says he is, but I have seen some information that suggests he is on his way there at the moment.