Gaddafi son: Libya 'heading for civil war'

UK Telegraph reports troops loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya will "fight until the last man standing" to defend his regime, his son has said as forces battled protesters in the capital Tripoli.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Col Gaddafi's second son and heir apparent, appeared on television late on Sunday evening to say there would be "rivers of blood" and that Libya was on the brink of a civil war that would burn its oil wealth.

"Our spirits are high and the leader Muammar Gaddafi is leading the battle in Tripoli, and we are behind him as is the Libyan army," he said.

"We will keep fighting until the last man standing, even to the last woman standing... We will not leave Libya to the Italians or the Turks."

He admitted that "civilians are driving tanks in Benghazi", but accused international media of exaggerating the number of deaths in the country.

Human rights groups report more than 200 people have died over the past few days. Saif al-Islam claimed only 84 people had died in the uprising.