Libya bombings only to 'frighten' rebels: Gaddafi son

Bomb attacks on Brega harbour were intended to scare rebels fighting Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi, his son Seif Al-Islam told Britain's Sky News late on Thursday.

Bomb attacks on Brega harbour were intended to scare rebels fighting Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi, his son Seif Al-Islam told Britain's Sky News late on Thursday.

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"The bombs were just to frighten them to go away," Gaddafi's son said.

"There is no city there, the city of Brega is miles away. I am talking about the harbour, only oil refinery there," he insisted.

Seif Al-Islam made it clear the regime would do all it could to prevent the harbour falling into rebel hands.

"This is the oil and gas hub of Libya," he explained. "All of us, we eat, we live because of Brega. Without Brega six million people have no future because we export all of our oil from there.

"There are militia and they were filming themselves, They came with three tanks and heavy machine guns. There is a red line, you cannot control the harbour. Excuse me!

"Nobody will allow the militia to control Brega, it's like you allowing somebody to control Rotterdam harbour," he added.

Rebels managed to beat off Wednesday's dawn attack in the first real military battle since the Libyan uprising began on February 15.