Libyan town Bani Walid, still loyal to toppled leader Muammar Gaddafi will fall "within hours" into the rebels' hands, said a spokesman for the National Transitional Council (NTC), the official Tunisian press agency TAP reported on Saturday.

"Tonight, or tomorrow morning, within a matter of hours," we will take Bani Walid, said Mahmoud Abdelaziz, an NTC spokesman near Chichan where the rebels are regrouping.

"People there have asked for more time, but our patience is running out," he added. On Saturday, Abderrazak Naduri, a NTC official gave the town's inhabitants until Sunday morning to give themselves in.

Previously in Benghazi, Libyan rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil, had iterated that the deadline set to the pro-Gaddafi loyalists in Sirte to surrender their weapons would end on Sept. 10, giving a chance to ongoing negotiations between tribes.

"Gaddafi himself is not in Bani Walid" said Naduri, whereas the vice-chairman of the NTC said on Thursday that it could well be he is still there, TAP reported.