The son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been reportedly killed in Libya. Local news outlets and officials say he was shot and killed at his home in Zintan by armed assailants.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s political team say he was killed in his residence in Zintan by unidentified gunmen; reports mention four attackers who then fled the scene.
Libyan media says Saif al-Islam’s political adviser Abdullah Othman and lawyer Khaled al-Zaidi have both publicly confirmed his death.
Details about the motive or the assailants remain unclear, and an investigation has been called for by some Libyan officials.
Saif al-Islam was born on 25 June 1972 and was Muammar Gaddafi’s second son, often seen as part of his father’s inner circle and once described as his heir apparent.
He played a leading role in diplomacy and was involved in negotiations with the West in the early 2000s, but during the 2011 uprising, he helped defend his father’s regime and was later indicted for alleged crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
After being captured in 2011 and imprisoned, he was released in 2017 and had been living in Zintan; he also made a presidential bid in Libya’s stalled electoral processes.
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