Libyan media reported that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi became a victim of an attack by four armed men near Zintan.
Abdullah Osman, Saif's advisor, confirmed the killing in a brief message on Facebook, without providing details about the attack or its perpetrators.
The team working with Saif al-Islam expressed official condolences, adding that preparations are currently underway for the return of his body.
According to the Al Hadath channel, close to the Gaddafi family, Saif al-Islam sustained a fatal wound while in the garden of his residence. The four attackers quickly left the scene. Al Jazeera reports that all surveillance cameras in the house were turned off before the attack.
According to statements from the 444th Brigade, which is subordinate to the Libyan Ministry of Defense, Gaddafi's eldest son was killed during armed clashes, but they deny any involvement in this incident.
Saif al-Islam, born in June 1972, was the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and held a doctorate from the London School of Economics. He was considered one of the reformers of his father's regime.
After the popular uprising supported by NATO that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Saif al-Islam was captured by rebels in late 2011 while attempting to flee to Niger. He was released in June 2017, after which he remained in Zintan.
A Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia in 2015 for inciting violence and killing protesters. He was also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity related to the events of 2011.
In 2021, Saif al-Islam announced his intention to run for the presidency of Libya in elections that were supposed to take place that same year but have yet to occur. In 2023, the UN Special Representative for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, confirmed that he could run if he decided to do so.
