On 3 February, early in the afternoon, four unidentified gunmen reportedly disabled the surveillance cameras at Saif Al-Islam al-Qadhafi’s residence in Zintan before storming the property. Allegedly, Saif confronted the assailants in his garden and was shot. The assailants fled the scene and have not yet been identified.
According to other sources, Saif was killed in a shoot-out in the Al Hamada Al Hamra Desert (south of Jabal Nafusa).
Saif’s lawyer Khaled Al Zaidi, his cousin Hamid Qadhafi, and his senior advisor and head of his political team Abdullah Othman were the first ones confirming his death, referring to him as a ‘martyr.’
Attorney General Al Sadiq Al Sour has reportedly opened an investigation into the killing. In some cities, like Misrata, Saif’s death was celebrated by some with fireworks.
Already the rumours are swirling about who was responsible for Saif’s killing and why, though there is no clarity yet. Some members of the Gaddafi clan close to Saif claim that Saddam Haftar is behind the assassination. Some rumours claim that Saif was killed by the 444th Combat Brigade in the Al Hamada Al Hamra Desert. The brigade has already denied this categorically.