Saif al-Islam Gaddafi assassinated in Zintan raid

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi and a central figure in the country’s political arena, has been killed following a raid on his residence in the city of Zintan.

In a statement released by his political team, officials revealed that four masked assailants disabled security cameras before breaching the residence.

The statement noted that Gaddafi engaged the attackers in a firefight but ultimately “fell victim to the forces of treachery.”

The political team emphasized that the assassination of such an influential national figure is a direct assault on any prospects for peace and stability in Libya.

Election favorite seen as obstacle to major powers’ plans

If the presidential elections—repeatedly postponed since 2018—were finally held, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was projected to win with approximately 70% of the vote.

His potential electoral strength was widely viewed as a significant hurdle for foreign actors with competing interests in Libya’s future.

The timing of the assassination is particularly noteworthy, occurring just two weeks after high-level, US-mediated talks in France.

Those negotiations involved Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and Khalifa Haftar, who leads the military wing of the Benghazi-based House of Representatives, with a focus on “unifying national institutions.”

Regional threats and the Haftar-Gaddafi equation triggered the assassination

Reports suggest that diplomatic pressures from regional powers played a role in the lead-up to the killing.

It has been alleged that Egypt pressured Khalifa Haftar to withdraw his support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan—which are backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—threatening to clear a political path for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi if he refused.

Such dynamics likely painted a target on Gaddafi’s back for both Haftar and the UAE.

Meanwhile, the 444th Brigade, which operates under the Ministry of Defense of the Government of National Unity and is known for its ties to Ankara, has categorically denied allegations of involvement after being among the first groups accused of the act.

Russia condemns assassination while family blames Western governments

Moscow issued the first sharp international response to the attack, with Russia formally condemning the assassination in the strongest terms.

Gaddafi’s cousin, Ahmed, argued that Saif al-Islam was killed because he stood in the way of US objectives regarding Libyan elections.

Ahmed asserted that his cousin was “murdered by agents of Western governments who wish to rule Libya by the sword.”

Calling for the immediate identification and punishment of those who planned and executed the hit, Gaddafi’s political team stressed that he had refused to compromise or retreat until his final moments.