British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged his country’s help in hunting down Muammar Gaddafi as he and France's Nicolas Sarkozy became the first foreign leaders to visit the new Libya.
The French president said the toppled despot remained a "danger" and that there was a "job to finish" in eliminating his forces' remaining strongholds.
Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy, whose forces spearheaded the NATO air war that helped topple Gaddafi, are immensely popular among ordinary Libyans for their role in ending the fugitive strongman's 42 years of iron-fisted rule.
They met the head of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, who earlier gave assurances that Tripoli had been sufficiently secured since its capture from Gaddafi forces last month for their visit to go ahead.
Mr Cameron said NATO would continue its UN-mandated air operations until Gaddafi's remaining strongholds are neutralised.
Britain releases frozen assets to Libya
Mr Cameron said Britain would release £600m (€690m) in Libyan assets as part of a series of measures aimed at supporting the new authorities in Tripoli.
He also said Britain would release another £12bn in frozen Gaddafi regime assets as soon as the UN Security Council approved a draft resolution that Britain and France are to put forward tomorrow.
Britain has already approved the release of £1bn, the last tranche of which is to be handed over soon.
A massive security operation accompanied the visit, with roadblocks along the road from Metiga airport on Tripoli's eastern outskirts and the city-centre hotel where the two leaders held their talks cordoned off by French-backed local forces.
They later headed for Libya's second largest city Benghazi, the rebels' base during their seven-month uprising.
The visit came as a large convoy of NTC forces zeroed in on Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte in gruelling heat, confident of overcoming one of the final pockets of resistance.
Fighting erupted after the heavily armed convoy neared houses after driving into the desert town of Wadi Bey, some 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Sirte, an AFP correspondent reported.
The convoy of battle-hardened fighters had set out from Misrata early today before splitting at the crossroads town of Abu Qurin, where a commander said they would approach Sirte in a pincer movement.
Their task appeared to have been made easier as their advance was preceded by a series of NATO air strikes in and around Sirte.
