The 32nd Brigade is a “premier force for Colonel Gaddafi” that “we have been watching closely,” US Admiral Samuel Locklear said from his command ship, the USS Mount Whitney, which is positioned off the coast of Libya.
He said that coalition planes would target in the “coming hours and days” the unit, which is led by Khamis and is estimated to have as many as 10,000 troops.
Earlier this week there were unconfirmed reports Khamis had been killed by a Libyan pilot on a suicide mission over the weekend.
The brigade was originally deployed around Tripoli but some of its troops have since been moved to other parts of the country to reinforce other government forces who are fighting rebels.
The Americans are planning to increase the intensity of air-to-ground attacks because Gaddafi’s forces are still besieging cities held by rebel forces and killing civilians, Admiral Locklear said.
Cities which are the focus of heavy fighting include Misrata, Ajdabiya and Zawiyah.
“We’re conducting a wide range of operations across Libya. Certainly the 32nd Brigade is always considered in the calculation of how we conduct operations in the future,” he said. “We will continue to watch carefully their positions.”
Coalition aircraft, including the RAF’s Typhoons and Tornadoes, have flown more than 300 sorties over Libya since the offensive began on Saturday.
More than 160 Tomahawk cruise missiles have been fired.