TRIPOLI – The youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi and three of his grandchildren were killed in a Nato airstrike on a house where the Libyan leader and his family were staying at the time, a government spokesman said.
“We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians.”
In the Nato second air strike on Tripoli within the past 24-hours, the raid attacked a luxurious villa where Gaddafi stayed with his family at that time.
Libyan officials took journalists to the house, which had been hit by at least three missiles, leaving reinforcing steel hanging down among splintered chunks of concrete.
The raid caused the deaths of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29, the youngest son of Gaddafi, and three of Gaddafi’s grandchildren, leaving Gaddafi and his wife unharmed.
“The leader himself is in good health. He wasn’t harmed,” Ibrahim said.
“His wife is also in good health.”
Saif al-Arab is one of Gaddafi’s less prominent sons, with a limited role in the power structure. Ibrahim described him as a student who had studied in Germany.
The grandchildren killed were pre-teens, Ibrahim said, calling the attack an attempted murder that contradicts with international law.
“This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country,” he said.
“This is not permitted by international law. It is not permitted by any moral code or principle.”
The announcement of the attack was aired live on state television which later showed Tripoli residents marching on the streets, chanting “the martyr is the beloved of God”.
Gaddafi has been facing his worst political crisis in his 42-year rule after thousands of Libyans took up arms for his ouster.
A deadly crackdown by Gaddafi’s troops on opponents, which left thousands of people dead, prompted the passage of a UN resolution authorizing a military action against Gaddafi’s regime.
Denying
NATO denied targeting Gaddafi, or his family, confirming that the target was one of Gaddafi’s command centers.
“NATO continued its precision strikes against regime military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Bab al-Aziziyah neighborhood shortly after 1800 GMT Saturday evening,” the alliance said in a statement cited by Reuters.
The military alliance added that they had launched air strikes on the same bombed area seen by reporters.
NATO’s commander of Libya operations, Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, said the target was part of a strategy to hit command centers that threaten civilians.
“All NATO’s targets are military in nature … We do not target individuals,” Bouchard said in a statement.
“I am aware of unconfirmed media reports that some of Gaddafi’s family members may have been killed.
“We regret all loss of life.”
Bolstering theories about Gaddafi assassination, another Nato air strike earlier on Saturday struck near a television station early on Saturday when the Libyan leader was making an address
The attacks lead to accusations that the Nato-led strikes are overstepping the UN mandate to protect civilians.
“There is no doubt the order was given to kill Gaddafi,” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a long-time ally of Gaddafi, said in Caracas.
“It doesn’t matter who else is killed, kill Gaddafi … a murder, this is a murder.”
US White House press secretary Jay Carney said the White House was aware of Libyan media reports Gaddafi’s son had been killed and was monitoring the situation.
During yesterday’s speech, Gaddafi offered ceasefire and talks to end the country’s stalemate. Yet he repeated his willingness to stay in power, rejecting any calls to step down.
A similar message was conveyed by the Libyan government spokesman who confirmed that Gaddafi would fight to the end.
“The leader offered peace to NATO yesterday and NATO rejected it,” Ibrahim said
“We will fight and fight if we have to.”
Source: OnIslam
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