According to Libyan media, reports of Saif al-Islam's death have been confirmed. He was killed near his residence in Zintan.
Abdullah Osman, an advisor to Saif, confirmed the information about his death in a Facebook post, without going into details about the incident. Gaddafi's team reported preparations for the return of the late leader's son’s body.
According to sources from Al Hadath TV close to the family, Saif al-Islam was killed in his garden. Four attackers quickly left the crime scene. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that all surveillance cameras in the house were turned off before the attack.
The 444th Combat Brigade, which is subordinate to the Libyan Ministry of Defense, claims that Saif al-Islam was killed in a firefight; however, the brigade's fighters deny their involvement in the incident.
Born in June 1972, Saif al-Islam was the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and earned a doctorate from the London School of Economics. He was considered one of the reformers of his father's regime.
After the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, which occurred as a result of a popular uprising supported by NATO, he was captured by rebels later that year while attempting to flee to Niger. In June 2017, he was released and had since lived in Zintan.
A Libyan court sentenced him to death in 2015 for inciting violence against protesters, and he was also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the uprising.
In 2021, Saif al-Islam announced his intention to participate in the presidential elections that were supposed to take place that year but have not yet been held. In 2023, the UN Special Representative for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, confirmed that he would be able to run for office if he wished.
