Fresh blasts in Tripoli after NATO air strikes

Two blasts occurred at 00:50 am (2250 GMT) in the area housing strongman Muammar Gaddafi's residence in the heart of the capital, followed by others in the city's eastern and southeastern suburbs, an AFP journalist said, adding that planes were flying over the city.
A column of smoke was seen over Gaddafi's residential complex, which had been targeted by NATO warplanes yesterday, when the transatlantic military alliance confirmed seven strikes and said they hit a military command centre.

Two more explosions were heard in the same area at about midday.Yesterday's attack came after rebel forces said they had lost 16 fighters east of Tripoli and that they infiltrated the capital and attacked a regime command post where a son of the strongman was among officials targeted.

The rebels, who have been fighting to oust Gaddafi for more than five months, said the assault "seriously injured" a high-ranking member of Gaddafi's security forces.

On Thursday, "there was an attack on an operations centre of top regime officials, including Seif al-Islam Gaddafi," National Transitional Council vice president Ali Essawy said after meeting Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini in Rome.

He said one person was "seriously injured," identifying the person as a high-ranking security official.