Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi and once regarded as his political heir, has been killed in the northwestern city of Zintan, according to family members and close associates.
Relatives confirmed his death on Tuesday but initially provided few details. His adviser, Abdallah Othman Abdurrahim, later said Saif al-Islam was shot dead in his home by unidentified gunmen.
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“Four armed men stormed his residence after disabling surveillance cameras and executed him,” Abdurrahim told Libyan broadcaster al-Ahrar TV.
His cousin, Hamid Kadhafi, described the killing as a targeted attack, telling local media that Saif al-Islam had “fallen as a martyr.” Media reports said the incident occurred in Zintan, where Saif al-Islam had reportedly been living, although his whereabouts had remained largely unknown in recent years.
Saif al-Islam, 53, had long been viewed as his father’s successor and was once promoted as a reformist figure within the former regime. In 2021, he announced plans to contest Libya’s long-delayed presidential elections, which were later postponed indefinitely.
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