Jakarta – Reports emerged Tuesday confirming the death of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was reportedly shot and killed in Zintan. The incident, confirmed by legal representatives, adds a new, violent chapter to Libya’s ongoing instability following the 2011 uprising that ousted and ultimately led to the death of his father Muammar Khadafi. Libyan authorities have launched an inquiry into the assassination, seeking to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of a man once considered a potential successor to his father’s regime.
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Saif Al Islam Khadafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Khadafi, was shot and killed by an armed group that stormed his residence in the city of Zintan, according to reports.
Khaled Al Zaidi, Saif’s lawyer, and his advisor, Abdullah Osman, confirmed the death on Tuesday, February 3, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
Marcel Ceccaldi, Saif’s French attorney, stated the killing occurred in broad daylight at his client’s home.
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“He was killed today at 2:00 PM in Zintan, at his home, by four commandos,” Ceccaldi told AFP.
Libyan media reports indicate the assassination took place at Saif’s residence and was carried out by four unidentified individuals. Surveillance cameras at the location were reportedly disabled prior to the attack.
The Libyan Attorney General’s office has launched an investigation into the killing.
While never holding an official position, Saif was widely considered his father’s second-in-command from 2000 until 2011.
“We are fighting here in Libya, we die here in Libya,” Saif said during a 2011 interview.
He was arrested that same year and imprisoned in Zintan after attempting to flee Libya following the opposition’s takeover of Tripoli.
Saif was released as part of a general amnesty in 2017.
His father, Muammar Khadafi, was a prominent political figure and revolutionary leader in Libya, serving as the General Secretary of the Revolutionary Committee of Libya from 1969 to 1977 after overthrowing King Idris.
He then led Libya from 1977 until 2011, when he was overthrown and killed by opposition forces supported by NATO during the Arab Spring uprisings. The death of Saif Al Islam Khadafi adds another layer of complexity to Libya’s ongoing political instability.
(isa/rds)
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