Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Killed in Armed Attack, Political Camp Seeks International Inquiry
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former strongman Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead in a targeted attack, marking a dramatic turn in Libya’s long and turbulent political saga.
According to reports carried by the BBC, his death was confirmed on Tuesday by the head of his political office through the Libyan News Agency. He was 53.
His lawyer, speaking to Agence France-Presse, said that four armed assailants stormed his residence in Zintan and opened fire.
However, his sister later told Libyan television that Saif al-Islam died near the Libya-Algeria border, adding further uncertainty to the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Members of his political team have called for an international investigation, alleging that the assassination was politically motivated.
Once seen as the possible heir to his father’s rule, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi played a key role in Libya’s outreach to Western governments in the early 2000s.
That diplomatic thaw ended with the uprising that toppled the Gaddafi regime in 2011.
After the fall of the government, Saif al-Islam was captured by a militia in Zintan and held for nearly six years. He was accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns against protesters during the 2011 civil war.
The International Criminal Court had sought his arrest on charges of crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, a court in Tripoli sentenced him to death in absentia in 2015 over his alleged role in suppressing dissent.
In a surprise political comeback attempt, Saif al-Islam announced in 2021 that he would run in Libya’s presidential election — a vote that was ultimately postponed indefinitely amid ongoing instability.
A Family Marked by Violence
During his four decades in power, Muammar Gaddafi survived numerous assassination attempts, both from internal rivals and foreign-backed plots.
While no single verified count exists, historians and intelligence sources have documented multiple serious efforts to kill him over the years, reflecting the deep opposition to his rule.
His life ended in October 2011 when he was captured near his hometown of Sirte by rebel forces and killed shortly after being taken into custody — a moment that symbolised the collapse of his long regime.
Saif al-Islam’s reported death now closes another chapter in the dramatic rise and fall of the Gaddafi dynasty.
#SaifAlIslamGaddafi #LibyaCrisis #GaddafiLegacy #PoliticalAssassination #MiddleEastNews #LibyaUnrest #InternationalProbe #AfricanPolitics #HistoryInTheMaking
