Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the once-powerful son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been killed.
The news emerged late on Tuesday, although details remain unconfirmed and conflicting.
Initial reports from the Libyan News Agency cited a statement from Gaddafi’s political team, which confirmed his death. His sister also appeared on Libyan television, claiming that Saif al-Islam died near the Libya-Algeria border, although she did not provide specific details regarding the cause of his death.
Libyan media outlets are circulating competing accounts of the situation, and the exact circumstances of his reported death remain unclear. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
At 53 years old, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was long considered the most influential figure in Libya after his father’s regime.
Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya for 42 years before he was overthrown and killed in the 2011 uprising.
Saif al-Islam played a key role in Libya’s diplomatic efforts with the West during the 2000s, but following the collapse of his father’s regime, he was captured by a militia in Zintan and imprisoned for nearly six years.
He faced accusations of being involved in the violent suppression of anti-government protests during the 2011 uprising, with the International Criminal Court seeking his trial for crimes against humanity.
