Libya's interim leaders are certain that Khamis Gaddafi, the youngest son of the vanquished dictator, was dead after a week of rumours that he had been killed in a heavily armed convoy close to Tarhouna.
Khamis Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's most feared son, has been confirmed dead, according to the NTC Photo: Balkis Press/ABACAPRESS.COM
By Rob Crilly, Benghazi and Ruth Sherlock outside Bani Walid
8:19PM BST 04 Sep 2011
If true, his death would be the highest-profile casualty among regime loyalists and a bitter blow to the besieged Gaddafi strongholds of Sirte and Bani Walid.
Rebel leaders had avoided publicly confirming the death of Khamis for fear of repeating their humiliation when they claimed to have captured Saif al-Islam, before he re-emerged barely 24 hours later.
But Ahmed Omar Bani, the rebel military spokesman, said he was certain Khamis had died alongside Mohammed al-Senussi, the son of the country's feared intelligence chief and that he was buried in Bani Walid.
He added that opposition sources within Bani Walid had supplied intelligence about the burial, supporting the testimony of prisoners who said they had been travelling with the convoy as part of Khamis's personal bodyguard.
Khamis, 28, had a key role in trying to put down the February 17 uprising. He took command of a special forces unit, the Khamis Brigade, which was believed to have been involved in the March assault on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
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He had been declared dead twice before only to reappear soon afterwards on television.
This time, it seems he did not escape from his 4x4 when it was destroyed by rocket fire as it fled Tripoli for Bani Walid hours before rebels attacked the capital.
Talks to end a standoff meanwhile around the besieged Libyan town of Bani Walid broke down yesterday, according to a rebel negotiator. Opposition fighters stationed outside the town are now reportedly waiting for the green light to launch a final assault
The effort to take Bani Walid, one of Muammer Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds, has prompted divisions between rebel fighters and their political leadership.
Libya's interim political leadership has sought to buy time for last minute negotiations with the town's tribal elders.
"We do not want to solve this militarily," Abusif Ghnyah, a negotiator from the National Transitional Council said at the front line. "We don't want to fire even a single shot. We don't want blood."
But rebel fighters waiting on the outskirts of the city rejected the appeal, accusing loyalists of using the time to plan a counter attack. There is frustration that Saif al-Islam may have fled the town on Saturday. The whereabouts of another son, Mutassim, is unknown.
"There is not much to negotiate, they have had months, now we are ready to attack and we will go," said fighter Mohammed Abdullah, 24.
Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, local representative of the National Transitional Council, joined rebel fighters in calling for an immediate attack even though Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the NTC, had granted a delay.
"Our people in the city are waiting for us, and our people here want to go in," he said.
Personal recriminations add to the fervour of many of the rebel fighters.
All from the town of Bani Walid, many had relatives killed when regime forces cracked down on a dissident uprising inside the town.
The divisions highlighted the challenges facing the NTC in its efforts to restore stability to the country after more than six months of civil war.
Seeking to gain control of the hundreds of independently run rebel brigades, and reassure the hundreds of jobless fighters, the NTC announced plans to draft thousands of men into the country's new police force.
More than 3,000 fighters are to be given roles in the police, and national security office, and training schemes and scholarships are to be established for the others.
Ahmed Darat, interim Interior Minister, said the fighters would be needed for one month longer as they sought to establish control across the country.
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