Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of late Libyan leader, shot dead by masked gunmen: Reports

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was reportedly shot dead on Tuesday in an armed attack in Zintan, Libya, as per media reports.

The 53-year-old Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was a prominent figure in Libya’s political landscape since the NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that toppled his father’s regime. Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya from 1969 until he was killed in the 2011 uprising.

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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s death was confirmed in a statement posted on a social media platform by Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, a member of Gaddafi’s team. According to him, four masked gunmen stormed Gaddafi’s residence in Zintan at noon and disabled surveillance cameras before a direct armed confrontation took place, leading to Saif al-Islam’s death. Though he did not mention who may have been behind the attack.

Also, his lawyer has confirmed to the AFP news agency that a unit of four armed men killed Gaddafi at his home in the city of Zintan.

Meanwhile, Gaddafi’s political team has appealed to the Libyan judiciary and the international community to carry out investigations into the attack. They have urged the authorities to identify the perpetrators, including the mastermind behind the attack.

However, so far, there has been no official statement from the authorities in Tripoli and Zintan about his assassination.

According to local media, the Libyan Attorney General’s Office has initiated an investigation into the killing.