NATO confirms Tripoli raids but not Gaddafi son's death

"NATO continued its precision strikes against Qadhafi regime military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood shortly after 1800 GMT Saturday evening," a statement said.

"All NATO's targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the... regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas. We do not target individuals," said Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector.

"I am aware of unconfirmed media reports that some of Qadhafi's family members may have been killed," Bouchard said.

"We regret all loss of life, especially the innocent civilians being harmed as a result of the ongoing conflict."

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters that 29-year-old Seif al-Arab Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's youngest son, and three of his grandchildren died in an air strike on a building.

Ibrahim called it "a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country," adding that the strongman and his wife were in the building when the strike hit, but were not harmed.

No independent confirmation of the incident was immediately available.

NATO said the raids would continue.

"I want to remind again all civilians in Libya to distance themselves as much as possible from Qadhafi regime forces, equipment and known military infrastructure to reduce the potential danger to them," Bouchard said.

The raids will go on until "all attacks and threats against civilians have ceased; until all of Qadhafi's forces, including his snipers, mercenaries and paramilitary forces have verifiably withdrawn to their bases, and until there is full, free and unhindered access to humanitarian aid to all those in Libya who need it," the statement added.