Gaddafi's son buried in Tripoli as rebels question death

A Libyan man waves the national flag as others carry the coffin with the body of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, the youngest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed two days earlier in a NATO airstrike, during the funeral in Tripoli, Libya, 02 May 2011. According to media sources, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29, was killed on 30 April, along with three grandchildren of Gaddafi, in the attack on Saif al-Arab Gaddafi's house. Leader Gaddafi and his wife were in the same house, but survived the attack. EPA/SABRI ELMHEDWI

Gaddafi was not present at Saif al-Arab's grave. However his two sons, Saif al-Islam and Mohammed, including a number of government officials, attended the burial. 

Cairo/Tripoli/Benghazi - The youngest son of Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi was buried in the capital Tripoli on Monday, according to Libya state TV. According to the Libyan government, a Saturday night NATO attack was responsible for the deaths of Gaddafi's son and three of his grandchildren. South Africa echoed statements similar to those released earlier by Russia, expressing 'great concern' over the death of Gaddafi's son.

'The attacks on leaders and officials can only result in the escalation of tensions and conflicts on all sides and make future reconciliation difficult,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The rebel's Interim Transitional National Councils (ITNC) said in a statement on Monday that Gaddafi has shown that he is happy to sacrifice his family, adding that over 12,000 people have been killed since the uprising began mid-February.

'What type of father is prepared to use even his sons and grandchildren as human shields? It is clear that Gaddafi either holds the whole world in contempt or is mentally unstable,' said ITNC Vice Chairman Abdul Hafeedh Ghoga.

The ITNC said it refuses to speculate on Saif al-Arab's death, but that 'every claim Gaddafi makes should be the object of independently verified investigation'.

According to the opposition website Libya al-Youm, rebels killed six pro-Gaddafi fighters and another 13 were injured in the western town of Nalut during clashes there on Monday.

The opposition Brnieq website added that Gaddafi's brigades shelled the western city of Zintan, roughly 160 kilometres south-west of Tripoli, for several hours, unleashing some 50 rockets.

NATO was able to intervene and hit the base from where the rockets were being fired south of Zintan, forcing Gaddafi's brigades to flee and leaving the rebels to acquire the weapons left behind, according to eyewitnesses quoted in Brnieq.

NATO fighter jets were also heard flying overhead in the eastern cities of Ajdabiya and Brega, reportedly destroying artillery used by Gaddafi's brigades, according to Libya al-Youm.

While rebels control the now mostly-deserted town of Ajdabiya, Gaddafi's troops continue to control Brega and the road in between the two towns.

In the heavily hit city of Misurata, about 200 kilometres east of Tripoli, opposition websites said that Gaddafi's brigades tried to enter with tanks through the city's south-western gate by shelling the city late Sunday.

As a result, at least six people were killed, rebels said.

By Monday, the heavy shelling in most parts of Misurata continued, with Gaddafi's troops using Grad rockets and cluster bombs, according to Libya al-Youm.

Panic has also spread in Misurata amid reports that up to 5,000 of Gaddafi's troops had amassed in a nearby town.

A group of Misurata activists said in a statement that the rebels had imposed a dawn-to-dusk curfew in response.

The activists said Gaddafi's fourth eldest son, al-Mutasim, was recruiting youth in the western town of Zlitan, which is part of the district of Misurata.

The opposition said many of the recruits were dressed in civilian clothes and driving civilian cars. Some were given gas masks, leading to speculation about their intentions and prompting rebel forces to boost check points against possible incursions.

Misurata, which is seen as a gateway to the capital Tripoli, has suffered from a shortage of medical and food supplies after more than two months of shelling and fighting between rebels and Gaddafi's forces, with the opposition reporting that over 1,000 people have been killed there since fighting began.

NATO said Monday they were able to destroy two mines around Misurata's port, which were left behind by Gaddafi's forces, but that a third mine has gone missing at sea.

'NATO mine hunters are now working to locate and destroy this mine and to scan the area for any further possible threats,' said the Western military alliance.

Meanwhile, Libyan deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim expressed regret on behalf of the government over weekend attacks by regime supporters on foreign embassies in Tripoli.

The official said crowds angry at Saturday's NATO attacks on Tripoli had overwhelmed the police.

There were reports that the British embassy, evacuated due to the conflict in Libya, had been destroyed and the US embassy set on fire.

This unrest also prompted Turkey to temporarily close its embassy in Tripoli, the semi-official Anatolia Agency reported Monday.