Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been assassinated in his home, according to family sources, his lawyer, and Libyan media. Investigators confirmed that the 53-year-old died from multiple gunshot wounds, and a criminal investigation is now underway.
According to his political team, four masked men stormed his house in the town of Zintan, southwest of Tripoli, and carried out what they described as a cowardly and carefully planned attack. The assailants reportedly disabled security cameras and clashed with Saif before killing him at the scene.
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Meanwhile, Libya’s attorney general said forensic teams examined the body and are working to identify those responsible. Officials stated that all possible leads are being reviewed, while political figures called for a transparent and urgent investigation into the assassination.
Saif al-Islam was once seen as his father’s heir and played a key role in restoring Libya’s relations with Western governments before the 2011 uprising. However, during the rebellion, he became one of the main figures behind the violent crackdown on protesters.
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After the fall of the Gaddafi regime, he was captured, imprisoned, and later released under a general pardon in 2017, after which he lived quietly in Zintan. He remained a controversial figure, wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
Overall, his killing has revived fears of political violence in Libya, a country still struggling with instability and divided power. The assassination may further complicate efforts toward reconciliation and democratic transition.