Libyan prosecutors launch probe into killing of Seif al-Islam Gadhafi

Libyan prosecutors on Wednesday said they were investigating the killing of Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. 

The public prosecutor's office said forensic experts had been dispatched to Zintan in northwest Libya, where he was shot dead, adding that efforts were underway to identify suspects.

"The victim died from wounds by gunfire," the office said in a statement, adding that investigators were looking to "speak to witnesses and anyone who may be able to shed light on the incident."

Marcel Ceccaldi, a lawyer who had been representing Seif al-Islam, told AFP he was killed by an unidentified "four-man commando" who stormed his house on Tuesday.

On the streets of Tripoli, some Libyans believe al-Islam's death will make a difference in the country’s future. 

"Seif's killing marks the end of one of the three camps [vying for power in Libya], which is the Gadhafi family's camp," said former diplomat Ibrahim Aribi. "The conflict is now limited to two families: the Dbeibah family in the west and the Haftar family in the east." 

Some in Libya had seen the younger Gaddafi, 53, as his father's successor. Seif al-Islam attempted to run for president in 2021, but the elections were indefinitely postponed. 

"For me, his killing has no impact on the current situation in Libya , neither economically nor politically," said Abdelraouf Zridi, a day labourer in Tripoli. "He had no presence." 

No official information has been released on Seif al-Islam's burial, but his adviser Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim told Libyan media that an autopsy had been completed and he could be buried in Bani Walid, south of the capital Tripoli.