Libya has rejected a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Col Muammar Gaddafi, saying the tribunal has no authority.

利比亚拒绝了国际刑事法庭下发的逮捕卡扎菲的逮捕令，称其对此无权干涉。

The ICC earlier accused the Libyan leader of crimes against humanity.

The court had grounds to believe he had ordered attacks on civilians² during Libya's four-month uprising, it said.

The Hague-based court also issued warrants for two of Col Gaddafi's top aides - his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi.

Thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the conflict.

Anti-Gaddafi forces said on Monday they had launched a new push towards Tripoli, with heavy fighting near the strategic town of Bir al-Ghanam, to the south-west of capital.

The rebel defence minister told the BBC that forces opposed to Col Gaddafi may also make a move on the capital from the east.

'Unquestioned control'

Libya's justice minister said Libya did not accept the ICC's decision to call for Col Gaddafi's arrest.

Mohammad al-Qamoodi told a Tripoli news conference the court was "a tool of the Western world to prosecute³（检举，起诉） leaders in the third world".

He added: "The leader of the revolution and his son do not hold any official position in the Libyan government and therefore they have no connection to the claims of the ICC against them."

The warrants refer to early weeks of the uprising, from 15 February until "at least 28 February".

There were "reasonable grounds to believe" that the three men were "criminally responsible" for the murder and persecution⁴ of civilians, said a statement read out by the ICC's presiding judge, Sanji Monageng.

Col Gaddafi had absolute and unquestioned control over Libya as its undisputed（无可争辩的） leader, and had introduced a policy to quell⁵ civilian¹ demonstrations⁶ by any means, including by the use of force, said the court.

While Saif al-Islam Gaddafi held no official position in Libya, he was "the most influential⁷ person" in Col Gaddafi's inner circle, it added.

Mr Sanussi, said the court, had "directly instructed the troops to attack civilians demonstrating" in Benghazi, the city that has become the rebels' stronghold.

The warrants had been requested by chief ICC prosecutor⁸ Luis Moreno-Ocampo in May, to protect Libyan civilians.

There was celebratory（庆祝活动） gunfire in the streets of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and the besieged⁹ city of Misrata as the news emerged.