%20-%20US%20Navy%20photo%20by%20Mass%20Communication%20Specialist%202nd%20Class%20Jesse%20B%20Awalt-Released%20-%20PD-R.jpg?auto=format,compress&fit=clip&max-w=1600)
Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed by rebel forces near his hometown of Sirte, during the First Libyan Civil War. He was found hiding in a drainage pipe after a NATO airstrike hit his convoy as he was attempting to flee the city. His death marked the end of his 42-year rule and the overthrow of his government by the National Transitional Council (NTC).
NATO's military intervention was authorized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which called for a no-fly zone and permitted "all necessary measures" to protect civilians. NATO aircraft patrolled the skies enforcing a no-fly zone to prevent Gaddafi's air force from bombing civilian areas. NATO also conducted air and naval strikes against Gaddafi's military assets on the ground, which some have criticized as going beyond the resolution's mandate to protect civilians. More
.jpg?format,compress&fit=crop&w=280&h=280&q=93)
.jpg?format,compress&fit=crop&w=280&h=280&q=93)
