Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi urged national unity in Libya for rebuilding after the death of former leader Muammar Gaddafi on Thursday.

Al-Arabi hoped the page of Libya's past was closed without return, said the Cairo-based Arab body in a statement. He urged the Libyan people to forget the past wounds and look forward to the future without revenge.

He called on political forces and officials in Libya to unify to build future Libya which meets people's aspirations, and preserves Libyan independence, unity, security and stability.

"All that delays the return of national unity and civil peace should stop," the statement said.

The Arab League is keen to exerting efforts to support the Libyan people in the transitional stage, it added.

Mahmoud Jibril, head of Libya's National Transitional Council's executive committee, confirmed Thursday at a press conference held in Tripoli that Gaddafi was killed in gun battle in his hometown Sirte, two months after he was forced to hide himself when rebels controlled Tripoli in late August.

The Arab League suspended Libya's membership in the organization after anti-government protests in Libya turned violent and called for a no-fly zone imposed on Libya to protect its civilians. In March, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures," excluding troops on the ground, to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country.