By Princess Eugene Majuru
Tripoli / ZINTAN, Libya — Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent surviving son of Libya’s late ruler Muammar Gaddafi, has been reported killed in an armed attack at his residence in the western Libyan city of Zintan, according to his lawyer, political advisers and multiple news agencies.
Sources close to his family, including his French lawyer Marcel Ceccaldi and Libyan legal representatives, said the 53-year-old was shot dead on 3 February 2026. Local reports indicate that four unidentified individuals stormed his home, after allegedly disabling security cameras before the attack. The assailants then fled the scene.
The Libyan Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into the killing, but official state authorities have not yet released a detailed confirmation.
Who Was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi?
Born in June 1972, Saif al-Islam was once seen as a potential heir to his father’s rule, known for his Western education and occasional diplomatic engagements in the early 2000s.
After the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, Saif was captured by fighters in Zintan and held there until 2017, when he was released under a general amnesty.
He was convicted in absentia in 2015 by a Libyan court and was under an International Criminal Court warrant on charges of crimes against humanity related to actions during the 2011 revolution.
Saif had attempted a political comeback, registering as a presidential candidate in 2021, although the election was never held amid political deadlock in Libya.
Figures close to the former political transitional authority have called for a transparent and urgent investigation into his killing. The circumstances and potential motives behind the assassination remain unclear, with no group immediately claiming responsibility.
Libya continues to grapple with fragmented governance and militia influence, more than a decade after the civil uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. Saif al-Islam’s death adds a new and volatile chapter to the country’s intricate political landscape.
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