By Muhammad Mamman
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s longtime former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in the western city of Zintan, multiple sources have confirmed.
Ahmed Khalifa, Al Jazeera’s Arabic correspondent in Libya, reported on Tuesday that Gaddafi, 53, is believed to have been shot dead at his residence in Zintan, where he had been based for much of the past decade.
The killing was confirmed by Abdullah Othman, Gaddafi’s political adviser, who announced the death on social media. Gaddafi’s lawyer and political team also verified the news, stating that arrangements were under way to recover his body.
Libyan media reported that four unidentified gunmen stormed his home in the Hammada area south of Zintan, disabled surveillance cameras beforehand, shot him, and fled the scene. His office described the incident as a “direct confrontation” with the assailants.
The exact circumstances and motive behind the attack remain unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility. Libyan authorities have launched an investigation.
Prominent figure in father’s regime
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi never held an official government position but was widely regarded as his father’s de facto number two from the early 2000s until the 2011 uprising that toppled the Gaddafi regime.
During the 2011 revolution, he appeared on state television vowing to crush dissent and warning of civil war if foreign powers intervened. He faced an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution.
In 2015, a court in Tripoli sentenced him to death in absentia for war crimes committed during the uprising. He was captured by a militia in southern Libya later that year but was released in 2017 under an amnesty.
In recent years, he lived a low-profile life in Zintan while occasionally re-entering politics. He registered as a presidential candidate ahead of planned national elections in 2021, a move that contributed to their indefinite postponement amid deep divisions between rival factions.
Legacy of a divided nation
Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed by rebel forces in October 2011 after more than four decades in power. Several of Saif al-Islam’s siblings died during or after the conflict.
Libya remains deeply fractured more than 14 years later, split between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli and the eastern-based administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The country struggles with militia rivalries, economic crises, oil disputes, and stalled efforts to hold unified elections.
No immediate reactions were available from Libya’s main political factions or international actors as news of the killing spread on Tuesday evening.
