Cairo - Head of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) Mostafa Abdel Jalil gave cities loyal to the toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi one week to surrender, the Doha-based al-Jazeera TV reported Saturday.

Jalil announced during a press conference held in Benghazi that the NTC forces will give one week to pro-Gadhafi forces in Sirte, Bani Walid and other cities to lay down their arms, adding that " this notice does not mean we are not aware of what Muammar Gadhafi 's loyalists are doing."

He said the NTC forces are in a position of strength to deploy troops in any city or town and the rebels would resort to military means "until the end of this extension."

However, a rebel commander said they have given pro-Gadhafi forces in Bani Walid, southwest of the capital Tripoli, until 0800 GMT Sunday to surrender, according to al-Jazeera.

Jalil added that no decision has been made by the NTC on collecting arms from troops in Tripoli. "The NTC did not issue any statement calling for the departure of revolutionaries," Jalil said.

Meanwhile, the NTC announced the formation of a supreme security council aimed at maintaining the security situation in Tripoli.