Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in an armed attack in western Libya on Tuesday (local time), Xinhua said, citing a statement from its political team.
Saif Islam’s office said in a statement Tuesday that he was killed during a “direct confrontation” with four unknown gunmen who broke into his home, according to the Associated Press. Further details have not been released.
According to Xinhua, Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, a member of Gaddafi’s team, reported the incident on Facebook, saying that four masked gunmen stormed Gaddafi’s compound in the city of Zintan at noon.
The attackers reportedly disabled the surveillance cameras before a “direct armed confrontation” took place that led to Saif al-Islam’s death.
The political team urged the Libyan judiciary and the international community to investigate the attack, identify the perpetrators and hold accountable those who “directed” the operation.
Authorities in Tripoli and Zintan have not yet officially confirmed the details of the incident, Xinhua reported.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has remained a prominent and polarizing figure in Libya since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ended his father’s rule.
(Tagtranslate)saf al-Islam for Gadar
