BBC News

with John Jason

卡扎菲之子丧生 英意驻利比亚使馆遭破坏

Angry crowds have attacked diplomatic buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli in response to reports that one of Colonel Gaddafi’s sons was killed in a NATO airstrike. The Italian and American embassies along with the UN mission were also targeted. The British embassy was completely burnt out, prompting the government in London to expel the Libyan ambassador. The British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt defended that decision.

Protecting diplomatic premises is a fundamental in relations between nations. It’s governed by the Vienna Convention. And the government there is responsible for the safety of those premises. It is a very strong breach of international protocol and it's an example of other breaches of international protocol which the regime has been involved in. So it is entirely right and appropriate that the Libyan ambassador is expelled.

Libyan state television has shown footage of what it says are the bodies of those killed in the NATO airstrike including Colonel Gaddafi’s youngest son Saif al-Arab Gaddafi. Some on the rebel's side have expressed scepticism. Christian Fraser was shown the bomb site.

The moment of impact. In all, three rockets were fired in quick succession into this villaclose to Colonel Gaddafi's military compound. Today state television produced footage of four shrouded bodies said to be those of Saif al-Arab, Colonel Gaddafi's youngest son, and three of the leader's grandchildren. It is hard to imagine anyone could have survived this attack that the government is claiming Colonel Gaddafi was there with his wife, but escaped.