By Damien McElroy, Tripoli
A missile totally destroyed an administrative building of Col Gaddafi’s Tripoli residence according to reports.
Libyan officials claimed that the strike on his Bab al-Azizia leadership compound amounted to an attempt to assassinate the long serving leader.
Read moreA huge plume of smoke rose from the site of an three-storey administrative building just 100 yards from the tent in the compound used by Col Gaddafi for media interviews and high level visits.
There were no reported casualties but the front of the building had collasped.
A crowd of loyalists gathered near the collapsed building to denounce the first attack on the Libyan leader’s personal citadel
Officials said the building was an administrative bloc not connected with the military. Shrapnel was recovered from the scene and the whiff of missile propellent lingered a few hours later.
Hundreds of people have been admitted to the compound to stage rallies defending the Libyan regime from charges that it slaughtering its own people to regain territory lost in last month’s uprising.
Anti-aircraft fire burst out across the Libyan capital after the strike. The heavy fire and explosion triggered rumours that an allied aircraft had been shot down and landed in the compound. Moussa Ibrahim, the government spokesman, demonstrated that a dual agenda was at work.
"This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence of Muammar Gaddafi about 400 metres away from the building which was hit," Ibrahim said. "Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside."
The reported strike came after Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said it would be "unwise" to have coalition forces try to kill Col Muammar Gaddafi in military strikes in Libya.
© The Telegraph Group London 2011
(The Island)
