Libya: Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi Killed In Clashes Near Zintan

By Mansour Al-Maswari

(Albawaba)-- Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was reportedly killed on February 3, 2026, during clashes near the western city of Zintan, according to a statement by his cousin, broadcast on Al Jazeera.

He was described as “martyred in the same track as his father, grandfather, and brothers,” referencing the violent fates of family members during Libya’s 2011 uprising.

Libyan media reported that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was killed at his residence in Zintan after surveillance cameras were disabled. 

The attack was carried out by four unidentified individuals. Abdullah Osman, Gaddafi’s advisor, confirmed that the Attorney General has launched an official investigation into the incident.

Local media, including the Libyan News Agency and Abaad News, cited confrontations with the 444th Brigade south of Zintan. Some pro-regime outlets suggested he survived an assassination attempt, while his advisor, Abdullah Osman, confirmed his death. 

The incident comes amid Libya’s continued fragmentation following the 2011 NATO-backed revolution that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. Zintan, a stronghold for anti-Islamist forces, has been a flashpoint between militias aligned with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli and eastern factions under Khalifa Haftar. 

Saif al-Islam’s renewed political ambitions, including a 2021 presidential bid despite an ICC arrest warrant for war crimes, had heightened tensions in the divided nation.

Born in 1972, Saif al-Islam was educated in London and Vienna and once regarded as his father’s heir apparent. Captured by Zintan fighters in 2011, he faced a death sentence in absentia before being released under amnesty in 2017. Though he reemerged advocating reconciliation, he remained a polarizing figure internationally due to alleged atrocities during the 2011 uprising.