In a possible explanation for the Qaddafi clan's swift departure to Algeria yesterday, Aisha Qaddafi, the daughter of Libya's embattled leader, gave birth to a baby girl today, according to Algerian authorities. “Aisha gave birth very early this morning. She had a little girl. Mother and daughter are doing fine,” a government official said. While Libyan interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil made it clear on Tuesday that the rebels demand Algeria returns Qaddafi's wife and three children, a spokesman for the Algerian foreign ministry said they have been authorized to reside in the country for "strictly humanitarian reasons." As for the whereabouts of the baby's grandfather, Colonel Qaddafi, a Sky News report sourced to the bodyguard of Qaddafi's 17-year-old son says he left Tripoli Friday for the southern desert town of Sabha:

A man claiming to be the bodyguard of Khamis Gaddafi told Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay he saw the former dictator at his youngest son's compound at the end of last week.

Col Gaddafi arrived in a car, meeting with Khamis and his daughter Ayesha, before heading in convoy towards Sabha, said the bodyguard.

He also confirmed earlier reports by rebel commanders that Khamis had been killed in an airstrike about 37 miles (60km) from Tripoli. Ramsay said the bodyguard confirmed Khamis died when his armoured Toyota Land Cruiser was hit by a missile, which was apparently launched from a Nato helicopter.

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John Hudson