A senior Libyan official flew in to Egypt on Monday on a private plane with nine members of his family, a Cairo airport security official said, as the Gaddafi regime identified him as Deputy Interior Minister Mabruk Abdallah.

The flight arrived from the Tunisian island of Djerba, the source said, declining to be identified.

It was not immediately clear what the motives were for Abdallah's unannounced trip to Egypt or if it marked a defection.

In Tripoli, a government official told journalists that Abdallah was appointed in June as the deputy of Interior Minister Al-Senussi Al-Wezri.

The Cairo source earlier incorrectly identified him as interior minister.

Abdallah did hold that post several years ago but was sacked in 2006 after a violent crackdown on a protest at the Italian consulate in Libya's second city of Benghazi left a dozen dead.

His arrival to Egypt came as rebels seized two key towns on the road to Tripoli, a breakthrough in six months of conflict pitting rebels against forces loyal to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

Dozens of high-ranking officials have turned their back on the strongman, including former interior and justice ministers as well as Libya's ambassador to the Cairo-based Arab league since a revolt erupted on February 15.