TV confirms death of Gadhafi son Khamis in Libya

TRIPOLI—A pro-Gadhafi TV channel confirmed the death of the toppled Libyan leader’s youngest son, Khamis, who had been reported killed by National Transitional Council fighters late in August.

Arrai, a Damascus-based broadcaster that has become the favored forum for Gadhafi and the remnants of his ousted regime, said late Sunday that Khamis was killed August 29 in Tarhuna, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tripoli while fighting “enemies of the homeland.”

His cousin Mohammed, son of Gadhafi’s close ally and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, was killed in the same incident, added the broadcaster.

It is the first time that pro-Gadhafi media has confirmed the death of Khamis, whose demise had been announced several times since Libya’s conflict erupted but always denied by the ousted regime.

The most recent official statement on his death came on August 29 when interim justice minister Mohammed al-Allagy said Khamis had been killed and buried in Tarhuna.

But that statement was denied by a pro-Gadhafi channel the next day.

Khamis, 28, commanded a brigade seen as the most effective and loyal force of the Libyan leader.