"They are so happy that Kadhafi lost his son in an air strike that they are shoooting in celebration," said Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani, military spokesman of the Libyan opposition Transitional Nation Council, headquartered in Benghazi.
Sayf al-Arab Kadhafi, embattled Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi`s youngest son, and three of his grandchildren were killed in an airstrike on Saturday, a government spokesman said.
"The house of Mr Sayf al-Arab Moamer Kadhafi ... who is the youngest of the leader`s children, was attacked tonight with full power. The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives," Moussa Ibrahim told a news conference in Tripoli early on Sunday morning.
"The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Sayf al-Arab Moamer Kadhafi, 29 years old, and three of the leader`s grandchildren," Ibrahim said.
"The leader himself is in good health; he wasn`t harmed. His wife is also in good health; she wasn`t harmed, (but) other people were injured," he said.
"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country."
Ibrahim had earlier taken journalists to the remnants of a house in Tripoli. Given the level of destruction, it is unclear that anyone could have survived, raising the possibility that if Kadhafi was there, he had left beforehand.
Three loud explosions were heard in Tripoli on Saturday evening as jets flew overhead. Volleys of anti-aircraft fire rang out following the first two strikes, which were followed by a third.
An international coalition began carrying out strikes on forces loyal to Kadhafi on March 19 under a United Nations Security Council mandate to protect Libyan civilians.
NATO took command of operations over Libya on March 31.
Massive protests in February -- inspired by the revolts that toppled long-time autocrats in Egypt and Tunisia -- escalated into war when Kadhafi`s troops fired on demonstrators and protesters seized several eastern towns. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
