The Italian and British embassies in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, have been attacked

The Italian and British embassies in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, have been attacked in apparent retaliation for a NATO missile strike that reportedly killed leader Moammar Gadhafi's youngest son and three young grandchildren.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague Sunday condemned the embassy attacks and said his government is expelling the Libyan ambassador to Britain. He said attacks on diplomatic missions breach the Vienna Convention.

Italy confirmed its embassy was among several in Tripoli damaged by vandals and accused Mr. Gadhafi's government of failing to take measures to protect foreign missions. Most western allies evacuated their embassy staff from Tripoli several weeks ago.

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said 29-year-old Saif al-Arab Gadhafi and three of his children were killed late Saturday during what Ibrahim called a direct attempt to assassinate the Libyan leader.

Ibrahim says Mr. Gadhafi and his wife were in their son's home at the time, but were not hurt. He said several other people at the home were injured.

Reporters were taken to the site of the home, where they saw extensive damage.

British Prime Minister David Cameron - without confirming fatalities - said Sunday that coalition targeting policy is in line with a U.N. mandate to prevent "a loss of civilian life." Mr. Cameron said NATO forces are targeting Libya's command and control units, as well as military hardware, and not specific people.

NATO Saturday rejected an offer from Mr. Gadhafi for negotiations to end the conflict in his country, saying it was without merit.

Other airstrikes in recent days have hit buildings while Mr. Gadhafi was nearby.

Libya says NATO air forces bombed a site near the national broadcast offices early Saturday while the Libyan leader was inside delivering an address to the nation. Last week, a NATO airstrike in Tripoli destroyed a building in the complex where Mr. Gadhafi lives.

Nato air strike in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, has killed the son of the Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi,

a government spokesman has said.

Colonel Gaddafi himself was in the large residential villa which was hit by the strike, the spokesman added, but he was unharmed.

His son Saif al-Arab was killed, as well as three of his grandsons.

Journalists say the building was extensively damaged and one unexploded bomb remains at the site.

Saif al-Arab was the youngest of Col Gaddafi's sons, with a lower profile than his brother Saif al-Islam.

He had been studying in Germany and returned to Libya recently.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said the villa was attacked "with full power."

"The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29 years old, and three of the leader's grandchildren," he said.

"The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives, the leader himself is in good health, he wasn't harmed."

"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country," the spokesman added.