What You Need to Know
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been assassinated at his home in Zintan. The incident, confirmed by his political team, raises significant concerns about the future of Libya’s political landscape and the potential for increased tensions among armed factions in the region.
Africa-Press. The Libyan News Agency announced the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, under mysterious circumstances. The incident occurred at his home near the city of Zintan, where four armed men stormed his residence.
Serious developments are unfolding on the Libyan political scene, as Abdullah Othman, adviser to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and head of his political team, confirmed the death of Saif al-Islam Muammar Gaddafi (53) in unclear circumstances.
According to sources close to the Gaddafi family and Libyan and international media, the death resulted from an assassination carried out by four unidentified gunmen at his residence in Zintan, western Libya. Surveillance cameras were reportedly disabled prior to the attack, and the assailants fled quickly after shooting him in the garden of the house.
Despite multiple confirmations, the circumstances remain ambiguous. Libyan authorities have yet to issue a final official statement, while the 444 Combat Brigade (affiliated with the Government of National Unity) denied any involvement in the incident.
Saif al-Islam’s political team calls for an international investigation
In a statement, Saif al-Islam’s political team called on the Libyan judiciary, the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to “assume their legal and moral responsibilities,” demanding the opening of an “independent, transparent local and international investigation” to uncover the circumstances of the crime and identify those responsible.
The team also urged Saif al-Islam’s supporters and the Libyan people to “exercise restraint, wisdom, and patience,” arguing that the true response to the crime lies in “adhering to his national project and remaining faithful to his principles.”
Details of the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
The assassination took place in the city of Zintan (southwest of Tripoli), where Saif al-Islam had lived for nearly ten years under heavy security following his effective release in 2017. The attack was carried out by four unknown individuals who first disabled surveillance systems before opening direct fire in the private garden.
The incident occurred on the evening of February 3, 2026, amid reports of previous clashes in the area.
The 444 Brigade issued a statement denying any involvement, the presence of its forces in Zintan, or the issuance of orders to pursue Saif al-Islam. Meanwhile, Libya’s Public Prosecutor announced the opening of an investigation into the incident.
Political career of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
Born on June 25, 1972, Saif al-Islam was considered the most prominent political heir to Muammar Gaddafi. He studied architecture in London and earned a PhD in the philosophy of international relations from the London School of Economics (LSE).
He led campaigns to improve the international image of the Libyan regime and oversaw economic and media reform projects (Libya Al-Youm TV), promoting the vision of a “new Libya” open to the West.
Saif al-Islam and the February 17, 2011 revolution
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was accused of crimes against humanity, and the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him.
Arrest and trial
He was arrested in November 2011 in southern Libya and sentenced to death in 2015 by a Tripoli court on war crimes charges, before benefiting from a general amnesty in 2017 granted by the Zintan militia.
He remained in Zintan, ran in the 2021 presidential election (later disqualified), and founded a Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, attempting to return to the political scene as an alternative to chaos. He remained wanted by the International Criminal Court until his death.
Potential repercussions of the assassination
The killing of Saif al-Islam represents a major blow to any attempt to revive the Gaddafi-aligned current in Libya and may intensify tensions in the western part of the country among armed factions. The incident raises questions about the perpetrators (local militias, political assassination, or internal conflict), amid Libya’s ongoing division between the Government of National Unity in Tripoli and eastern forces.
The assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi on February 3, 2026 marks a dramatic end to a figure who was once a symbol of reform under his father’s rule, before becoming a target of transitional justice and Libya’s complex conflicts.
The full truth remains pending the results of official investigations, as uncertainty continues to overshadow the Libyan scene.
