As news broke of former Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's death, Al Jazeera broadcast graphic video shot on a mobile phone apparently confirming his death.

The graphic clip, which was subsequently rebroadcast on other networks and is embedded at the bottom of this post, showed the leader naked, limp and bloodied and surrounded by fighters in the street.

It also appeared to show the former leader, who was identifiable mainly by his long hair and clipped beard, being dragged, kicked and mocked by shouting NTC fighters.

Gaddafi appeared to be bleeding from several wounds, though it was not possible to confirm independently that he was definitely dead.

Even as the video and other graphic photographs and images emerged from Sirte there continue to be some confusion as to the exact circumstances of his demise.

Some eyewitness reports said that Gaddafi had been found hiding in a pipe or hole in Sirte and was immediately killed after being shot by a 9mm gun.

Other reports said that Gaddafi had been wounded in both legs and was taken away in an ambulance, before dying later.

Still more reports said that Gaddafi had been initially wounded in a Nato attack on a convoy of vehicles in which he was attempting to escape.

That was denied by the NTC, who said that the Nato attack had not killed Gaddafi.