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 climbing the statues, carrying out boxes of guns and ammunition. some went room to room searching for gadhafi. of course, they found to trace of him. they managed to shut off a key escape route possibly paving the way for the leaders to fly in from benghazi. military spokesman saying that could take place on thursday. that is assuming that continued progress, they have continued progress. opposition forces have driven the majority of forces back to his hometown. that remains to be seen. we'll have much more on that and the hunt for gadhafi and who may replace him. also, matthew chance, he, his crew and other reporters right now trapped inside a hotel in tripoli, not far from where sara sidner was earlier at gadhafi's compound. being kept there by gadhafi loyalist, armed in the lobby and patrolling the hotel. the situation is more tense. a quick wrap-up of what was a truly memorable day. in the streets of tripoli today, cries of victory barely audible over the nonstaph rattle of celebratory gunfire. opposition forces fighting ferociously this morning with remnant of the government army. still defending moammar gadhafi's compound. after a siege lasting for hours, the opposition forces breakthrough. >> this is a historic day. psychologically speaking, this is an important day, especially for the rebels who gadhafi said would never be able to break his spirit, would never be able to take the city. but they have taken gadhafi's compound. and you can see now some of the press coming out. so clearly they had it. clearly, they have taken this over and clearly there is extreme excitement here in tripoli. >> gadhafi's compound is not only his official residence but a symbol of his regime and of his defines to the west. opposition fighters search the compound room by room. knocking down walls x confiscating weapons, ammunition and personal documents and medical records of dpad fi and his family. >> but the one thing they want most is nowhere to be found. moammar gadhafi has vanished. but with control of the palace, the insurgents say they control 85% of the city. the victory, however, took a turn as residents were looting the compound and celebratory gunfire turned interest chaos. >> this is the first part of the eastern gate. there are large black holes in the gate. the sun is setting in this area just behind us. it's starting to become darker. over here, you're seeing them, these are cars that belong to the gadhafi regime. they're sitting on here and blowing off rounds on the top of them. it's a low security -- i'm going to try not to get hit by any of those rounds. then if you go just over here, you see the people streaming through the main gate [ gunfire ] that's all the way into the compound. [ gunfire ] >> streaming in the main gate of the compound. a lot of smoke coming from the compound. you see these huge walls. these were supposed to be protective walls. it gives you the sense of the power of the gadhafi regime. this honestly is the nicest part of the city. you're seeing these large, very nicely [ gunfire ] >> i'm going to back up. let's pull back a little bit. let's just pull back, i'm getting hit by some of the shells. >> other parts of tripoli continue to see fighting on the streets. journalists held by government forces at therixas hotel. matthew chance is trapped there. >> we're pretty frightened to be honest michael. we're all kind of like sort of a silence that's gone over us. we're upstairs in the hotel. we've all got our body armor on. we don't know what to expect. there's a sense that we kneel that we've been used. we're stuck here, not able to go out. we don't want to be here. we want to get out of here. but we're not committed to do that. it's almost a situation where we're kept here against our will. what the governments say is that they're taking care of us. the gadhafi loyalists say they're here to protect us. but it doesn't feel like that sometimes up here. >> it's unclear how many gadhafi loyalists remain in tripoli and despite a swift victories by the opposition, it's unclear if this is the beginning of a prolonged urban battle. >> it could go either way until the gadhafi clan is rounded up, a new government in place and people figure out how to live their lives again. there have been plenty of surprises tonight. tonight's radio message and sudden appearance by say eave gadhafi. as it unfolds, our people are there in the middle. sara sidner, matthew chance, arwa damon is on o the phone from the libyan capital. sara sidner joins us. sara, your camera are causing people to shoot off the guns in celebration. when your camera isn't on, is that the same scene? >> yes, it actually has been. this evening, it was quiet when the camera wasn't on. quiet as it wasn't as much blasting in the air. people were taking our hand and handing us candy and trying to give us paraphernalia with the rebel flag on it. the minute the lights go on, the blasts started going. people want to show their appreciation in that way, by blasting into the air and show -- throughout the day, that was happening whether or not we were rolling, not rolling, standing there watching. sort of a jubilation and discuss doing whatever they want. they can show the world that gadhafi and the regime has broken. but what you're seeing in the square earlier has cleared out and -- trying to explain earlier, it's kind of a creepy feeling righting through a city when there are no lights, where it's no one on the road, except for perhaps one or two checkpoints. we can barely see them standing at the checkpoint. odd situation in a city that's a capital of a country. >> obviously, there's still parts of the city, particularly where matthew chance is, which is not far from where sara is. that are still controlled in some manner and we're not sure how many areas there are. but in some manner by gadhafi forces. how far is the airport from you are by the green square, martyr square. how far are you from where sara is? what's the situation like where you are now? >> we're about 15 to 18 miles to the south here at the tripoli international airport. i have to say the response by the rebel fight rs that is been much more muted than what sara herself was experiencing. that's simply because they're still caught in the midst of a very intense batd will. it lasted for around nine hours, anderson. they have not managed to secure the area the east of the airport. there are two military bases located there. they were telling us, the rebel fighters have been telling us that they believe some sort of vip. someone who gadhafi loyalists want to protect could possibly in the farm lands east of the airport. quite simply because they said that the intensity of the fight, that gadhafi forces are putting up here has been unexpected. >> sara, when you were in the compound, are people there, do they still believe that gadhafi is in tripoli or do they feel he's gone somewhere else? do they have any idea? >> they only know that he is in -- they believe he's gone underground literally. there were bunkers underground by the regime. we have gotten him to prepare a time like this. and so after hearing from him again, there's a sense that he's around here somewhere. exactly where, nobody knows. he's a person that wouldn't have given all that information out except for his closest allies and friends and family members. there is a general sense they believe he is somewhere in the capital. >> sara, how do you know where you can safely drive? i use the term safely loosely. how do you know where you can drive in tripoli where you won't run into pro gadhafi forces? >> we don't know to be honest with you. we're not seeing large numbers of gadhafi's troops anywhere. it's not the numbers that anybody is worried about. it's the snipers, it's the people that are sort of behind the building. it's a very sort of difficult and scary part of covering this really is not knowing if you go around a corner whether you're going to be faced with someone who gadhafi loyalists had done or a trained professional holding his own. it's a matter of trying to edge your way to saving the -- at the checkpoints if they're wearing the flags and that sort of thing. as far as everything here in the right place at the right time. >> for the situation, you were witnessing a firefight at the tripoli airport. you were saying the fighters thought it was more opposition than they had expected. are pro-gadhafi forces still in control of areas near where you are? >> yeah, anderson, they most definitely are. they're in control of the area to the east of milo indication and they're also in control of the highway that goes straight from this airport all the way up to the complex. they've only managed to move awe few miles north of that. that highway is a strategic location for gadhafi forces for a multitude of reasons but it contains two military installations. the one is a major refueling center and the other is where they store their fuel which would provide for the majority of the vehicles they have. this entire location where we are is not one of the gadhafi forces want to give up easily. a short while ago even though the gunfire had tapered off quite a bit, there was a gadhafi forces vehicle that drove up to the collapse, fire a couple rounds much there was somewhat of a fight that ensued. the rebels parld in which -- wounded two others. so mostly there are chunks of this area that rebels are not yet in control of. >> arwa damon, stay safe tonight. sara sidner as well. as we mentioned, at the top of the program, matthew chance is in a very tough spot tonight. he, his crew and a number of foreign correspondents are trapped inside the hotel not far from where sara sidner just spoke us and it's called martyr square. i spoke to matthew in the 8:00 hour. >> what's the situation where you are inside that hotel? >> well, in terms of we've not got much to report in terms of what's happening outside the perimeter of the hotel and the regs of tripoli. i know you're speaking to sara. i don't have any verification from the limited perspective here. we're still very much in the same kind of grim situation, which is that we're in a hotel where the top floor of the hotel. we've corralled ourselves. gadhafi loyalists are still very much in control of this hotel and the immediate perimeter around it. beyond that, i can't give you any good indication of what -- to what extent they have control. we are very close. colonel gadhafi's compound. we were very close to the fighting going on as rebels, controlled the compound from the gadhafi forces. the concern now is that we seem to be more of the remaining of tree, which is still controlled by gadhafi's forces. we're very anxious about what might happen at this hotel in the hours a he. >> earlier, you said the mood was grim. you basically were in this room, in body armor. do you have communication with the libyan forces inside the hotel not allowing you to leave? >> well, i mean, i don't know whether we can describe it as communication. but certainly we have contact with them. they're walking around the hotel, patrolling the lobby floor. they're in the basement as well. within the past few hours, a number of them have come up to the journalist floor as well. gone into some of the rooms. which is something we're a little concerned about. but in general, we don't have much communication with them. having said that, about two hours ago i was leaning on the pal connie overlooking the interior cord yard. one came up to me and said i suppose you're happy now you journalist. i asked him what he meant. the fact that the rebels have taken the fwans and taken control of the compound. there is still a sort of little bit of hostility towards us. a little bit in which gadhafi loyalists will drag this conflict. regard the international media as being on o the rebels side in this conflict. even though that's not the case. we're trying to report the government's, gadhafi's side of things in this conflict. but obviously we're doing that in very resprikted circumstances. we asked to be -- that's not something that the authorities in control of this hotel are prepared at this point to let us do. we hope that changes soon. >> i heard earlier on the air you saying that you felt you had been used. how so? >> in lots of different ways, i shows. obviously, we're here because the government feels they've locked the ears, the eyes of the international media to put across their point of view whenever they want. there's a good example of that last night when colonel gadhafi's oldest son was reported to have been captured by the rebels as they vand into a little day earlier. just outside of the rixas hotel. this was outside the front doors of that scene. you may remember that. in that sense, i think we -- that we feel that they feel that we're valuable if you like at the moment. we want to try to continue that. going to try to continue reflecting the government position as much as we can. >> matthew, you have obviously, you have asked to leave and what do they say? what is the reason for not letting you leave? >> well, what we've had confirmed over the cost of the past several minutes, that's half an hour or so. the bolt from -- that's felt in a port in libya. near tripoli. and the maltese government speaks person who i have been in contact with has told us all here that the space on that boat to take us all out to malta and to haiti obviously. the trouble is we've not managed to negotiate an exit from the hotel. what the people hearsay, the gadhafi loyalists who are controlling the hotel say, is that it's not safe for us to do that. they say they're here for one reason only, to protect us. so at the moment that means that we're not being permitted to move outside the hotel even though we've made the point that we believe it's our right to move outside the hotel if we choose to do that. that's not i've agreed to yet. >> have they indicated any knowledge that the men who are in the lobby, the loyals, have they indicated knowledge of the fact that it seems like according to sara sidner, the area they control now is relatively small. sara is very close by in green square, the gadhafi compound obviously has fallen. would seem that the areas that a loyalist control have considerably shrunk in the last 24 hours. >> wrae. i mean, we've certainly been hearing that as well. i'm sure that the people downstairs in the hotel have been hearing the same reports. they'll know what the reality is. they're not saying anything like that to us, though. they're essentially in denial or they're just denying it to us, saying that everything is safe outside. the government is in control outside. that there are no more nato warplanes flying in the skies outside. basically, trying to give us this idea that the government is fully in control still. so even though from other sources and reporting that gadhafi compound has fallen to the rebels and i've not heard anybody sort of talk about that, acknowledge that fact. only that one instance which i mentioned earlier, one of the loyalists came up to me, you know, i suppose you're happy now, aren't you, you journalist? that was an indication that he was aware what was going on outside and it was a little bit angry with us for that having happened. anderson? >> matthew, we wish you and your crew well. please stay as safe as you can. very dicey situation for matthew chance and all those others trapped right now in the rixos hotel. you can follow me on twitter at anderson cooper. i'll be tweeting tonight if i can throughout the live hour. up next, two experts here to talk about how to track down gadhafi and assess the opposition's performance so far. let's check in with isha sesay. >> new aftershocks in the quakes that took the washington, d.c. area bli surprise. it was felt as far north as montreal. we have the details on that and a very big, dangerous hurricanea heading to the eastern seaboard when 360 continues. right into my desktop. launch my watchlist -- a popping stock catches my eye. pull up the price chart. see what the analysts say. as i jump back, streaming video news confirms what i thought. pull the trigger -- done. i can even do most of this on my smartphone. really, it's incredible. like nothing i've ever experienced. unleash your investing and trade free for 60 days with e-trade. [ jim ] i need to push out a software upgrade. build a new app for the sales team in beijing. and convince the c.e.o. his email will find him... wherever he is. i need to see my family while they're still awake. [ male announcer ] with global services from dell, jim can address his company's i.t. needs through custom built applications, cloud solutions and ongoing support in over 100 countries. so his company sees results. and jim sees his family. dell. the power to do more. [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over. [ male announcer ] you never know when a moment might turn into something more. and when it does men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment's right. ♪ [ man ] tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. [ man ] do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities, so we're helping them with advice from local business experts and extending $18 billion in credit last year. that's how we're helping set opportunity in motion. we're okay. please don't shoot, sir. we are in between two walls. so we're fine. but you know, as people drive-by in their trucks, they're so excited. this is something that has become a bit of a problem in the city as they blast these guns through the city. we don't know where it's going to land. it is surrounded by a neighborhood. >> remarkable courage. sara sidner and matthew chance and arwa damon showing in tripoli. it is a very fluid situation. later a backlash including our breakin