Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Killed in Clashes Near Zintan

CAIRO – 3 February 2026: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was reported dead on Tuesday. The announcement was made by the Libyan news agency, which cited Abdullah Othman, Gaddafi's representative at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.

No further details regarding the circumstances of his death have been officially disclosed.

Conflicting reports have emerged from Libya in recent hours concerning Gaddafi's fate. Some Libyan media outlets reported his assassination under mysterious circumstances south of the city of Zintan in western Libya. While some local sources in the west confirmed his death during armed clashes, media outlets affiliated with the former regime denied the reports, asserting instead that he survived an assassination attempt near the Hamada oil field.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had officially submitted his candidacy papers for the 2021 Libyan presidential elections. However, the elections were not completed at that time due to political tensions and legal disputes regarding candidate eligibility and requirements. Following the election's collapse, Gaddafi remained in Zintan, in the western region of the country.

Born on June 25, 1972, in Tripoli, Saif al-Islam was the eldest son of Muammar Gaddafi's second wife and the second of the late Libyan leader’s nine children.