the washington post says the u.s. embassy in tripoli has been looted, ransacked and burned. in just the past hour, a new audio message purportedly from moammar gadhafi was released. meanwhile, the search for gadhafi has taken a unique turn. he may be disguised as a woman. nbc s chief foreign correspondent richard engel has more. reporter: rebels say they are now closing in on territory still held by moammar gadhafi s loyalists and fellow tribesmen. now amassed outside gadhafi s hometown of sirte, rebels have given gadhafi s men until saturday to surrender or they will invade. but gadhafi s own whereabouts remain unknown. in tripoli, rebels have been searching cars, even using photographs of how gadhafi might look dressed in disguise as a woman. what is known is that the gadhafi family has split up. last week, gadhafi s wife, two sons and a daughter named aisha
what they was a taped message from the dictator. in it he vowed martyrdom or victory. he said the repeat from his compound was in his words a tactical move. his spokesman promising to turn libya into volcanics and fire. he claims that tribes loyal gadhafi are making their way to tripoli to liberate the city. at the gadhafi compound loyalist gunmen trying to take it back from the opposition who captured it today. our sara sidner was there when it all happen. reporter: we re having to run out of the compound now. we see gunfire coming from outside the compound. in and it s getting it s getting too close. so we re leaving. we re not going to go all the way into the compound. it s definitely now from the outside of the compound firing towards us. let s go! go ahead. we just got a gunfire incoming overhead. just saw gunfire. we re seeing all these tracers hitting the water tink, hitting the an iryeah. so we ve got to go. sara sidner outside gadhafi s compound this evening. c
or victory. the words he said were it was a tactical move. he also claims that tribes, loyal to gadhafi are making their way toward tripoli to liberate the city. that claim has been made before. at the gadhafi compound as the sun went down, there was new fighting. loyalists, gunmen trying to take it back from the opposition who captured it today. sara sidner was there when it all happened. let s go. come on, sara. come on, sara. having to run out of the compound now. we see gunfire coming from outside o the compound. it s getting too close. so we re leaving. we re not going to go into the compound. there s definitely from the outside of the compound firing towards us. [ gunfire ] just got a gunfire incoming over our head. it s behind you. we re seeing the tracers and hitting the water tank and the area. we got to go. sara sidner outside gadhafi s compound this evening. contrast that with scenes from earlier today as fighters poured in firing shots in celebration c
in it he vowed martyrdom or victory. he said the repeat from his compound was in his words a tactical move. his spokesman promising to turn libya into volcanics and fire. he claims that tribes loyal gadhafi are making their way to tripoli to liberate the city. at the gadhafi compound loyalist gunmen trying to take it back from the opposition who captured it today. our sara sidner was there when it all. reporter: we re having to run out of the compound now. we see gunfire coming from outside the compound. in and it s getting it s getting too close. so we re leaving. we re not going to go all the way into the compound. it s definitely now from the outside of the compound firing towards us. let s go! go ahead. we just got a gunfire incoming overhead. just saw gunfire. we re seeing all these tracers hitting the water tink, hitting the an iryeah. so we ve got to go. sara sidner outside gadhafi s compound this evening. contrast that from earlier scenes this evening as fighter