LONDON, England - March 20, 2011 - A missile totally destroyed an administrative building of Col Gaddafi's Tripoli residence according to unconfirmed reports.
Libyan officials claimed that the strike on his Bab al-Aziziyah leadership headquarters amounted to an attempt to assassinate the long serving leader.
A huge plume of smoke rose from the site of a three-storey administrative building just 100 yards from the tent in the facility used by Col Qaddafi for media interviews and high level visits.
There were no casualties but the front of the building had reportedly 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 facility to stage rallies defending the Libyan regime from charges that it is 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 by invading forces. The heavy fire and explosion triggered rumors that an allied aircraft had been shot down and landed on the grounds. 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 Moammar Qaddafi about 400 meters away from the building (that) was hit," said Ibrahim. "Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside."
