NATO airstrikes targeted the centre of Muammar Gaddafi's seat of power, dropping bombs inside his sprawling residence, including a meeting hall where he had received an African Union delegation just two weeks ago. Gaddafi's whereabouts at the time of the attack on the Bab al-Azizia compound were unclear.
A Libyan official said 45 people had been wounded, 15 seriously, in the bombing. He added that he did not know whether there were victims under the rubble.
"It was an attempt to assassinate Colonel Gaddafi," he affirmed.
Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, described the attack as cowardly.
"This cowardly attack on Muammar Gaddafi's office might frighten or terrorise children, but we will not abandon the battle and we are not afraid," he said.
The airstrike came after Gaddafi's forces unleashed a barrage of shells and rockets at the besieged rebel city of Misratah in an especially bloody weekend that left at least 32 dead and dozens wounded.
The battle for Misratah, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the past two months, has become the focal point of Libya's armed rebellion against Gaddafi since fighting elsewhere is deadlocked.
A Libyan official said 45 people had been wounded, 15 seriously, in the bombing. He added that he did not know whether there were victims under the rubble.
"It was an attempt to assassinate Colonel Gaddafi," he affirmed.
Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, described the attack as cowardly.
"This cowardly attack on Muammar Gaddafi's office might frighten or terrorise children, but we will not abandon the battle and we are not afraid," he said.
The airstrike came after Gaddafi's forces unleashed a barrage of shells and rockets at the besieged rebel city of Misratah in an especially bloody weekend that left at least 32 dead and dozens wounded.
The battle for Misratah, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the past two months, has become the focal point of Libya's armed rebellion against Gaddafi since fighting elsewhere is deadlocked.
