By Ghazali Ibrahim
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in an apparent assassination at his home in Zintan, western Libya, according to multiple sources including his legal team and international news agencies.
Family allies and his lawyer, Khaled al-Zaidi, confirmed on Tuesday that the 53-year-old was shot dead by unknown assailants after intruders stormed his house. Local reports say four unidentified gunmen disabled security cameras before launching the attack, though the motive and perpetrators remain unclear. Libyan authorities have opened an investigation into the killing.
The reported assassination ended the life of one of the most controversial figures linked to Libya’s former regime. Once seen as a possible successor to his father’s decades-long rule, Saif al-Islam became a polarising symbol in the North African nation’s ongoing struggles since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
Political figures and observers have responded swiftly to the news of his death. Khaled al-Mishri, ex-head of Libya’s High State Council, called for a “transparent and urgent investigation” into the attack, stressing the need for accountability.
Former Gaddafi regime spokesman Moussa Ibrahim accused unidentified “agents of foreign powers” on social media of being behind the killing, describing it as a deliberate effort to undermine Libya’s hopes for unity and stability. Ibrahim said Saif al-Islam had championed a sovereign Libya, and his removal could deepen divisions in the already fractured country.
Reactions across social media and local forums were mixed. Some Libyans expressed shock that such a prominent political figure could be killed amid ongoing militia rivalries and chronic instability in the country. Others questioned the lack of immediate clarity from official state institutions, reflecting long-standing frustrations with Libya’s fractured governance. Calls for calm and due legal process emerged alongside speculation and concern over further unrest.
Saif al-Islam’s death comes two months before planned presidential elections that have been repeatedly delayed, in part due to his controversial bid to run in 2021, an attempt that drew both support and widespread opposition. His killing is likely to influence Libya’s political balance and further complicate efforts to unify the country under a stable government.
The situation remains fluid, and international observers are watching closely for how Libyan authorities and political actors respond in the coming days.
