British planes have fired missiles at a bunker in Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
Tornado GR4 jets took off from RAF Marham on Thursday night and fired Storm Shadow precision guided missiles at what the MoD have told the BBC is a "large headquarters bunker".
The jets also targeted 29 armed vehicles in the town, and hit a "command and control node" south of Tripoli.
UK defence spokesperson Major General Nick Pope said that one of the Libyan leader's last remaining surface-to-air missile systems was also destroyed in an attack close to the Tunisian border.
The search for Gaddafi continued on Thursday after forces fighting him fruitlessly searched buildings in Tripoli for the missing leader.
Snipers loyal to the regime continued to fight fierce battles with rebel forces in the Abu Salim area of the capital, close to the Bab al-Aziziya compound.
There were also growing concerns for the wider humanitarian situation inside Tripoli.
Amnesty International has pointed to apparent abuses on both sides of the conflict, including the rape of prisoners by Gaddafi's soldiers guarding the notorious Abu Salim prison.
"Both sides to the ongoing conflict in Libya must ensure that detainees in their custody are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated," the group said.
There were also reports of shortages of both food and water in the city. Tripoli resident Ali Abusaisi told Sky News: "There is no water here and food is difficult to find because the shops - for most of the day - are closed. There's no fuel so you can't move around to get supplies".
Gaddafi called on his remaining supporters to continue the struggle against the rebels. "Fight them and kill them" he said in an audio message, which was broadcast on the Syrian-based Al-Orouba TV.
"Fill the streets and the squares," he said. "Don't be afraid of the raids."
Meanwhile the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) began the symbolic move of its administration and cabinet from he rebel stronghold of Benghazi to Tripoli.
The United Nations also agreed to release $1.5bn of frozen assets to the NTC, in a move which should help the council to restart the Libyan bureaucracy.
Foreign Secretary William Hague last night told the BBC that establishing order in Libya was just as important as capturing Gaddafi:
"It's one of the important things to bring him to justice, one of several important things, of course for there also to be more order and security established in Tripoli, for the NTC to have access to more funds - all of these things - and what happens to Gaddafi is one very important component."