TRIPOLI, (AFP) – A rebel minister said a son of Muammer Gaddafi’s, Khamis, whose death was announced several times since Libya’s conflict erupted but was never confirmed, was killed south of Tripoli and buried on Monday.

“One of the rebel leaders confirmed to me that Khamis was killed somewhere near Tarhuna, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Tripoli,” the opposition justice and human rights minister Mohammed al-Allagy told AFP.

“He may have been killed in battle. The rebel leader said he had been buried,” Allagy added.

The rebels said on Sunday that Khamis may have been killed the day before in a clash between their fighters and pro-Kadhafi forces.

Rebel military spokesman Ahmed Omar Bani said Saturday that Khamis could have been one of several people killed when rebel fighters in Tarhuna intercepted a military convoy with several “brand new Mercedes vehicles”.

“”As our fighters were trying to block the passing of the convoy, they were violently attacked and shot at,” said Bani.

“The brigade in Tarhuna responded and hit two vehicles in the convoy, killing their occupants.

“We faced strong resistance (from the pro-Kaddafi convoy) to protect these two cars which is why they were totally destroyed and burned with their occupants caught in the crossfire,” he told reporters in Benghazi.

Bani said “it is very difficult to identify the charred bodies, but the soldiers captured on the spot told us that they were bodyguards of Khamis Kaddafi.”

Khamis, 28, the youngest son of Kadhafi, commanded a brigade seen as the most effective and loyal force of the Libyan leader. Rebel fighters captured its base south of Tripoli in fierce fighting on Saturday.