(May 01, London-Tripoli, Sri Lanka Guardian) Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi apparently escaped a NATO missile strike in Tripoli which killed his youngest son.

The precision air strike, which came hours after Gaddafi called for a ceasefire and negotiations, killed Saif Al-Arab Gaddafi, 29, and three of the dictator's grandsons.

The Libyan government claimed Colonel Gaddafi and his wife were in the house at the time, but escaped unharmed.

But officials have cast doubt over the news after the building, inside a compound, was badly damaged by several bombs and no bodies were reported to have been removed.

NATO confirmed it had struck a 'command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood' on Saturday evening, but insisted it did not target individuals.

Said Gaddafi was the youngest son of the Libyan dictator. He had spent much of his time in Germany in recent years.

Along with Colonel Gaddafi's other children, he had been increasingly engaged in covering up scandals for a 'Libyan soap opera' - including negative publicity from extravagant displays of wealth including a private concert by pop diva Beyonce.

He had also played an active role in seeking to quell the rebellion that has seen pro-democracy supporters gain control of the east of the country, including Benghazi.

While studying in Munich in 2006, he gained a reputation as a playboy and become involved in a nightclub brawl with a bouncer when his girlfriend was thrown out.

Two years later, his Ferrari was impounded by German police for excessive exhaust noise.

Later in 2008, he was suspected of attempting to smuggle an assault rifle, a revolver and munitions from Munich to Paris in a car with diplomatic number plates.

However, the case was later dropped as the alleged weapons were never found and the German public prosecutor decided there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution.

Gaddafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house hit by at least one bomb, according to Libya spokesman Moussa Ibrahim.

He said: 'The leader himself is in good health. He was not harmed. The wife is also in good health.'

Mr Ibrahim would not give the names of the three children killed, but said they were nieces and nephews of Saif al-Arab and were all younger than 12.

He added: 'It seems there was intelligence that was leaked. They knew about something. They expected him for some reason.

'But the target was very clear, very, very clear. And the neighbourhood, yes of course, because the leader family has a place there, you could expect of course it would be guarded, but it is a normal neighborhood.

'Normal Libyans live there. This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country.'

He said the attacks had no legal, moral or political foundation.

Journalists at the scene reported seeing one unexploded device in a huge crater among the rubble of the house and said the roof had caved in. It is thought at least three missiles hit the building.

A bunker or reinforced cellar underneath the building was also breached.

Gaddafi yesterday refused to give up power but said that he was ready for a ceasefire and negotiations provided NATO 'stop its planes'.

Gaddafi looked to have been winning with government forces held at bay in the east and around the besieged city of Misrata, while fighting for control of the western mountains.

But weeks of Western air strikes have failed to dislodge the Libyan leader and the war has instead become locked in a painful stalemate.

With neither side apparently able to gain the upper hand, Gaddafi struck a conciliatory tone in an 80-minute televised address to the nation in the early hours of Saturday.

'(Libya) is ready until now to enter a ceasefire,' said Gaddafi, speaking from behind a desk and aided by reams of paper covered in what appeared to be hand-written notes.

'We were the first to welcome a ceasefire and we were the first to accept a ceasefire ... but the Crusader NATO attack has not stopped,' he said. 'The gate to peace is open.'

Gaddafi denied mass attacks on civilians and challenged Nato to find him 1,000 people who had been killed in the conflict.

'We did not attack them or cross the sea ... why are they attacking us?' asked Gaddafi, referring to European countries involved in the air strikes. 'Let us negotiate with you, the countries that attack us. Let us negotiate.'

But as he spoke, NATO warplanes hit three targets close to the television building in Tripoli in what state media said was an attempt to kill Gaddafi who has ruled Libya for 41 years.

The air strikes left a large crater outside the attorney general's office but did not damage the building and hit two other government offices housed in colonial-era buildings. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

Previous ceasefire offers have been rebuffed by NATO as Libyan government forces have continued to fight on.