On 13 August, Gaddafi's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim stated that the rebel assault on Tawergha had failed, saying tribesmen from Bani Walid had rallied to the fight the previous evening and pushed rebel forces all the way back to Misrata. This claim was not independently verified. The rebels themselves claimed that they were closing in on the last sniper and pro-Gaddafi artillery positions in the town. By the end of the day, a spokesperson for the National Transitional Council said Tawergha had been secured. Twelve anti-Gaddafi fighters were killed during the operation, Commander Ibrahim Halbus told BBC News.
