Western powers launch second wave of air strikes on Libya and dismissed a ceasefire announcement by the Libyan military. A building in Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli destroyed.

Western powers launched a second wave of air strikes on Libya early on Monday after halting the advance of Muammar Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and targeting air defences to let their planes patrol the skies.

The United States, carrying out the air strikes in a coalition with Britain, France, Italy and Canada, said the campaign was working and dismissed a ceasefire announcement by the Libyan military on Sunday evening, the Reuters agency reported.

Britain's Defence Ministry said one of its submarines had again fired Tomahawk guided missiles on Sunday night as part of a second wave of attacks to enforce the 1973 UN resolution, after US and British warships and submarines launched 110 Tomahawk missiles on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Libyan officials took western reporters to Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli, a sprawling complex

that houses his private quarters as well as military barracks, anti-aircraft batteries and other installations, to see what they said was the site of a missile attack two hours earlier.

"It was a barbaric bombing," said government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim, showing pieces of shrapnel that he said came from the missile. "This contradicts American and Western statements that it is not their target to attack this place."

In central Benghazi, sporadic explosions and heavy exchanges of gunfire could be heard in the streets late on Sunday evening. A Reuters witness said the firing lasted about 40 minutes.

In western Libya in the city of Misrata, government tanks moved in after a base used by Gaddafi's forces outside was hit by air strikes on Saturday.