Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed, a source close to the Gaddafi family told Al Arabiya on Tuesday.

According to the source, four assailants shot Saif al-Islam in his garden before fleeing the scene. His killing has sent shockwaves across Libya, where he remained a polarising but influential political figure.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack or what motive may have driven it.

Libya’s state news agency LANA also confirmed his death, citing his advisor, Abdallah Othman.

Saif al-Islam had long been viewed as his father’s political heir. In 2021, he announced his intention to contest Libya’s long-delayed presidential elections, positioning himself as a key player in the country’s fractured political landscape. However, the elections were indefinitely postponed amid legal disputes and ongoing instability.

His death is expected to further complicate Libya’s fragile political process and security environment.