Tazeen Akhtar | Islamabad
At a cruicial phase of Libyan political history, when unification efforts from both sides and through some international players and friends of this war torn divided country were going on, the only person, a symbol of unity and most probably, a main figure on political scene of the country has been assasinated in extremely suspicious way at his secret residence.
The son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al Islam Gaddafi, has been killed, sources close to the family, his lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi and Libyan media said on Tuesday. Earlier in late Dec 2025, Libyan army chief was hit in his aircraft when he was returning home after signing an agreement in Turkiye for expansion of Turkish forces in GNU’s Libya for two more years.
The killings of prominent personalities and security officials at GNU side portray a picture that shows something big is happening behind the curtains and the only beneficiary of all incidents or accidents is none other than the side of General Haftar.
Saif al-Islam’s office said in a statement on Tuesday that he had been killed during a “direct confrontation” with four unknown gunmen who broke into his home. Further details were not made public.
It was yet another dark day for Libya. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was assassinated in what many consider a cowardly act, occurring while he was living a low-profile life in a secret residence in the western city of Zintan.
A source close to the Gaddafi family told Al-Hadath TV Channel that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was killed in the garden of his home, where he had been living for the past 10 years.
In Libya, pro Haftar media was sharing fake pictures of the dead body and was blaming that GNU Prime Minister is behind the murder. This media reported to spread the speculations in most of its reports.
” Reports circulating on social media claim that a body believed to be Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has been found, with allegations that he was assassinated by Brigade 444, led by Mahmoud Hamza. The brigade is affiliated with the UN-backed Government of National Unity, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.”
While various political factions are busy trading blame, the primary responsibility lies with the UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNU). Since Zintan falls directly under their administration, the government is ultimately answerable for the security breach.
This tragedy follows closely on the heels of last month’s events, in which the GNU’s military Chief of Staff and several senior officials perished in a suspicious plane crash in Turkey. The timing of these high-profile deaths has raised serious questions about the stability of the current leadership.
It has become increasingly clear that the western-based unity government is failing to protect even its most prominent figures, leaving little hope for the safety of the average citizen.
A source close to the Gaddafi family told Al-Hadath TV Channel that no decision has yet been made regarding the transfer of the body of Saif al-Islam Muammar Gaddafi from the city of Zintan.
The Attorney General has opened an official investigation into the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, as authorities begin examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, a member of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s political team told that there had been previous attempts to assassinate him, raising further questions about security failures and potential motives behind the attack.
Abdullah Othman, a member of the dialogue committee representing Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, said that the burial will not take place until investigations are completed and all legal procedures at the scene of the incident are finalized. He added that the body was transferred to a private hospital in the city of Zintan following the assassination.
