“Overnight there was a aircraft attack by Nato on the Gaddafi operations room in Zlitan and there are around 32 Gaddafi troops killed. One of them is Khamis,” said Mohammed Zawawi, a spokesman for the United Revolutionary Forces.

Khamis, who has long led pro-government militia fighters, was said to be commanding the battle for Zlitan – a Gaddafi bastion that has halted the rebel advance on Tripoli…

But authorities in Tripoli quickly denied that claim, saying they controlled the entire town.