By Mahmoud Muhammad Kano
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in his home in Zintan, Libya, on February 3, 2026. He was 53 years old. According to reports, four masked men stormed his house, disabled security cameras, and shot him in a “cowardly and treacherous assassination”. Gaddafi’s political team and lawyer confirmed his death, calling for an urgent and if transparent investigation into the killing ¹ ² ³.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was a prominent figure in Libya, considered his father’s number two from 2000 until 2011. He was captured and imprisoned on the tZintan in 2011 after attempting to flee the country, but was released in 2017 under a general amnesty. He had been living in Zintan since then and had announced his candidacy for the Libyan presidential election in 2021 ⁴ ⁵ ⁶.
The Libyan Attorney General’s office has opened an investigation into Gaddafi’s killing, and forensic experts have confirmed that he died from gunshot wounds. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks
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Would you like to know more about Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s life and legacy, or the implications of his death for Libyan politics?
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