The killing of the rebels’ military commander comes as diplomatic efforts have stalled. At the United Nations, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, told the U.N. Security Council a recent U.N. delegation to meet both sides of the Libya conflict had made no headway.

Lynn Pascoe: “Both sides are willing to talk, but they are still emphasizing maximum demands at this point, and patience is clearly required before detailed discussion can begin. As we have said many times, a ceasefire tied to transitional arrangements which address the aspirations of the Libyan people is the only sustainable political solution to the crisis in Libya.”