By Hadiza Abdulkadir
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in the western Libyan town of Zintan, according to local authorities and sources close to the family.
He was reportedly shot after armed men stormed his residence, disabling security cameras before opening fire. The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility so far.
Once seen as his father’s political heir, Saif al-Islam became a central and controversial figure following the 2011 uprising that ended the Gaddafi regime. He was captured that year, later sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes, and released in 2017 under an amnesty law.
In recent years, he had sought a return to politics, including an unsuccessful attempt to run in Libya’s postponed presidential election.
Libya’s Attorney General has announced an investigation into the killing. Analysts say his death could have political implications in a country still struggling with deep divisions and instability more than a decade after the revolution.