Gaddafi?s Son Killed in NATO Strike, Claim Libyan Rebels

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Khamis Gaddafi was among 32 people killed in a NATO airstrike on the western city of Zlitan, a spokesperson for Libyan rebels claimed.

"Overnight there was a aircraft attack by NATO on the Gaddafi operations room in Zlitan and there are around 32 Gaddafi troops killed. One of them is Khamis," said Zawawi, a spokesman for the United Revolutionary Forces, Aljazeera reported.

Libyan army's 32nd Brigade, which served as a major government defence of Zlitan, was under 28-year-old Khamis' command.

Zawawi said the information is based on spy reports within Gaddafi's forces. However, there was no immediate comment from the government or from NATO about the claim.

On 20 March 2011, rumors of Khamis' death from injuries sustained when pilot Muhammad Mokhtar Osman allegedly crashed his plane into Bab al-Azizia, were widely reported. Khamis was not to be seen or heard from since the reported plane crash. U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton had stated that "evidence is not sufficient" for her to confirm Khamis' death.