The UN war crimes court's chief prosecutor said today he would seek arrest warrants against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his intelligence head for crimes against humanity.

"Today, the office of the prosecutor requested the International Criminal Court (issue) arrest warrants," Luis Moreno-Ocampo said at a press conference in The Hague, where the International Criminal Court is based.

The Argentinian prosecutor said there was evidence "thatMuammar Gaddafi  personally ordered attacks on innocent Libyan civilians".

A panel of ICC judges will now have to decide whether to accept or reject the prosecutor's application, based on his case file.

Moreno-Ocampo announced on March 3 he was opening an investigation into human rights abuses in Libya as the anti-regime revolt entered its fourth month in the north African country.

His investigation targeted eight people, including Gaddafi and three of his sons.

Protests against Gaddafi 's four-decade rule began on February 15 with Moreno-Ocampo saying thousands of people have been killed in the violence and around 750,000 people forced to flee, according to UN figures.

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