Video | UN withdraws from Tripoli(Libya) amid mob attacks

UN buildings and some foreign missions were targeted by angry crowds following the air strike, prompting the UN to withdraw of all of its international staff to Tunisia. It has said that the decision will be reviewed next week.

Foreign reporters were shown widespread damage to the building in Col Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound. NATO has insisted its raid targeted a "command-and-control" building, and that all Nato targets were "military in nature".

But Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Col Gaddafi and his wife had been in the building at the time of the attack but they were both unharmed. He said the air strike was against international law and "a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country".

NATO is operating in Libya under a strict UN mandate to protect civilians.

Later on Sunday, Libyan state TV said funerals for Saif al-Arab Gaddafi and the other victims would be held on Monday after noon prayers.

The BBC reported witnessed that if Col Gaddafi had been there, it is hard to imagine he could have walked away unscathed. Russia expressed "serious doubts" that the West was not targeting Col Gaddafi and his family.

"The claims of the coalition members that strikes over Libya do not have the physical destruction of Muammar Gaddafi and members of his family as their goal cause serious doubts," a statement from the foreign ministry said.

After its Tripoli embassy was sacked, the UK expelled the Libyan ambassador.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Libyan ambassador Omar Jelban had been given 24 hours to leave the country.

By not protecting diplomatic missions, the Gaddafi regime had "once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations", said Mr Hague.

He added: "The attacks against diplomatic missions will not weaken our resolve to protect the civilian population in Libya."

The Italian foreign ministry condemned the "acts of vandalism" on its embassy, describing them as "grave and vile". Italy - which closed its embassy in March and is represented by Turkey - recently joined the Nato mission in Libya.

There were also protests outside the US mission in Tripoli.

A UN official said the Libyan government had apologised for the attack on its offices, blaming an angry mob for the damage.

Most Western governments evacuated staff from Tripoli when an international coalition began air strikes on Libya several weeks ago.

Late on Saturday, the Libyan government said Saif al-Arab Gaddafi and three of Col Gaddafi's grandchildren had died in a Nato attack on a villa in Tripoli.