Christian Fraser describes the scene of the air strike in which Saif al-Arab Gaddafi is said to have died
Nato strike ‘kills Gaddafi’s son’
A Nato air strike in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, has killed the son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, a government spokesman has said.
Colonel Gaddafi himself was in the large residential villa which was hit by the strike, the spokesman added, but was unharmed.
His son Saif al-Arab was said to be killed, as well as three grandsons.
Journalists say the building was extensively damaged and one unexploded bomb remains at the site.
Saif al-Arab, who had a lower profile than his brother Saif al-Islam, had been studying in Germany and returned to Libya recently.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said the villa in which he was killed was attacked “with full power.”
“The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Muammar Gaddafi, 29 years old, and three of the leader’s grandchildren,” he said.
“The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives, the leader himself is in good health, he wasn’t harmed.” Col Gaddafi’s wife was also unharmed, he said.
“This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country,” the spokesman added.
At the scene
Earlier this evening we heard three enormous explosions to the west of the city. Normally we are taken to the bomb sites within an hour, but tonight there were a lot of concerned faces around the hotel, a lot of whispering and secrecy.
Two hours later we were eventually brought to the villa, which was surrounded by reinforced concrete, cameras, and military positions. This is clearly an exclusive neighbourhood. Inside, total destruction.
There were signs there had been a family gathering. There were no bodies in the house, they had been removed, and we are reliant on the government’s account of what happened.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone could have escaped unscathed, though according to the government spokesman the Libyan leader and his wife were present and are safe and well. But there’s no independent evidence they were there.
Libyan rebels began a campaign in mid-February to end more than four decades of rule by Col Gaddafi.
Since last month they have been aided by an international coalition acting on a UN mandate to protect Libyan civilians.
Mr Ibrahim said the attack late on Saturday was against international law.
“We ask the world to look into this carefully because what we have now is the law of the jungle,” he said.
“How is this helping in the protection of civilians? Mr Saif al-Arab was a civilian, a student… He was playing and talking to his father and mother and his nieces and nephews and other visitors when he was attacked and killed for no crime he committed.”
He accused the international coalition conducting air strikes over Libya of not wanting peace.
“We have again and again declared that we are ready for negotiation, ready for road maps for peace, ready for political transitional periods, ready for elections, ready for a referendum.
“Nato does not care to test our promises. The West does not care to test our statements. They only care to rob us of our freedom, our wealth, which is oil, and our right to decide out future as Libyans.”
Gunfire rang out in celebration in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi following the news that Saif al-Arab Gaddafi had been killed.
The strike that Libya said had killed Saif al-Arab Gaddafi came less than a day after a speech by his father was broadcast on state TV, in which Col Gaddafi called for a ceasefire and negotiations.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim: “Direct operation to assassinate the leader”
During his speech the Libyan government reported a Nato air attack on a complex that includes the state TV building, which it said was also designed to kill Col Gaddafi.
Several air strikes against Col Gaddafi’s sprawling Bab al-Aziziya compound have been reported recently.
In response to the Libyan leader’s comments, Nato officials said the alliance would not consider talks until government forces stopped attacks on civilians.
The vice-chairman of the Transitional National Council also rejected the offer of negotiations, saying the Libyan leader had “offered ceasefires only to continue violating basic human rights, international humanitarian law, and the safety and security of Libya and the entire region”.
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