Moammar Gadhafi died from gunshot to the head
Libya's chief forensic pathologist says an autopsy has confirmed that Moammar Gadhafi died from a gunshot to the head. Reuters

Thursday brought an abrupt end to the hunt for Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The former ruler, who was taken out of a sewage pipe alive, offered no resistance. TV footage shows rebel fighters dragging Gadhafi with a gun pointed at his head. It also shows the Libyan ex-leader later being struck, kicked and shot, as Libya's new leaders declared they had overrun the last bastion of his long rule. His body has been displayed at a house in Misrata since then.

While Libyan authorities are discussing the prospect of secretly burying the body of the dictator, Gadhafi's Web site has published his last will and testament. Apparently the document was handed to three of his relatives, one of whom was killed. The second was arrested but the third person managed to escape the fighting in Sirte.

Given below is the English translation of Gadhafi's will:

"This is my will. I, Muammar bin Mohammad bin Abdussalam bi Humayd bin Abu Manyar bin Humayd bin Nayil al Fuhsi Gaddafi, do swear that there is no other God but Allah and that Mohammad is God's Prophet, peace be upon him. I pledge that I will die as Muslim.

"Should I be killed, I would like to be buried, according to Muslim rituals, in the clothes I was wearing at the time of my death and my body unwashed, in the cemetery of Sirte, next to my family and relatives.

"I would like that my family, especially women and children, be treated well after my death. The Libyan people should protect its identity, achievements, history and the honourable image of its ancestors and heroes. The Libyan people should not relinquish the sacrifices of the free and best people. I call on my supporters to continue the resistance, and fight any foreign aggressor against Libya, today, tomorrow and always.

"Let the free people of the world know that we could have bargained over and sold out our cause in return for a personal secure and stable life. We received many offers to this effect but we chose to be at the vanguard of the confrontation as a badge of duty and honour.

"Even if we do not win immediately, we will give a lesson to future generations that choosing to protect the nation is an honour and selling it out is the greatest betrayal that history will remember forever despite the attempts of the others to tell you otherwise."

The deceased leader is survived by his wife, daughter Aisha and four of his sons - Muhammad, Saif al-Islam, Al-Saadi and Hannibal. Two other sons, Saif al-Arab and Khamis, were killed in April and August this year.