Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi replaced two of his ministers who had defected to support the anti-government protests, Libyan state TV said on Wednesday.

Gaddafi appointed Masoud Abdel Hafiz instead of Abdel Fattah Younes al-Abidi as interior minister and replaced ex-justice minister Mostafa Mohamed Abud Ajleil with Mohamed Ahmed al-Qamoudy.

Mohamed Aqri al-Mahgouby replaced Abdul-Rahman al-Abbar as prosecutor general, who had also resigned and joined the protests last week.

Inspired by streets-born protests that had swept Tunisia and Egypt and forced their leaders to step down, thousands of Libyans have started a string of protests against the government.