The Libya’s rebels National Transitional Council (NTC) interim government confirmed that Col Gaddafi's son, Khamis, has been killed, in an air strike. NTC said he had died in fighting close to Tripoli and was buried near Bani Walid. They further added that Muhammad, the son of former spy Chief Abdullah Senussi, was also killed.

Khamis Gaddafi is the fifth son by Col Muammar Gaddafi's second wife Safia Farkash and head of the 32nd Reinforced Brigade, popularly known as the Khamis Brigade, the best trained and equipped force in the Libyan military.

Khamis Gaddafi is said to have been in an 4x4 vehicle armoured Toyota Land Cruiser when it was reportedly blasted off the road by a missile apparently launched from a Nato Apache helicopter, 60km away from Tripoli, said a man, claiming to be one of Khamis' captured bodyguards.

The NTC on several earlier occasions claimed the death of Khamis but only this time have confirmed.