TRIPOLI, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Libyan leader Mouammar Gaddafi made his first public appearance in a week near Tripoli late Tuesday, vowing to fight on, while France and other West countries were busy creating a new body to take over the lead in the current intervention in Libya.

Libya's state TV showed that Gaddafi appeared on a balcony before a crowd of supporters at his residence compound near the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

The compound, located in Bab Al-Aziziya, was struck by a cruise missile in Sunday night's bombing by Western forces.

The TV footage showed Gadhafi making a short live address to his supporters. "Be it long or short, we're ready for battle," he said.

Hours earlier, heavy explosions and intensive anti-aircraft fire resounded over Tripoli. The distant explosions, whose exact locations remained unknown, started at around 8:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT), and shortly shells trailing orange flames were seen fired into the dark air.

The blasts appeared to be a new round of U.S. and European-led military strikes hitting Tripoli after nightfall, following similar operations starting Saturday that aimed to create a no-fly zone over Libya.

But when Gaddafi maintained confident in grabbing the final victory in the confrontation, the Western forces seemed also determined in their aligned mission.

【相关中文报道】

新华网的黎波里3月22日电 利比亚领导人卡扎菲22日晚在首都的黎波里说，利比亚绝不屈服于西方军事打击，将最终取得胜利。

据利比亚电视台报道，卡扎菲当天晚间在其住所阿齐齐亚兵营接见示威群众时发表简短讲话时说：“我们将取得这场历史性战役的胜利。我们绝不屈服，无论时间长短，我们都将战胜他们。我们已经做好打短期战争或是长期战争的准备。”

卡扎菲表示，他将坚守在自己的住所。

自19日起，每天都有大批的黎波里民众聚集在阿齐齐亚兵营内的广场，表示要抵抗西方国家的军事打击。1986年，阿齐齐亚兵营曾遭美国军机轰炸，造成卡扎菲1名养女死亡，2个儿子受重伤，卡扎菲幸免于难。

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