Thousands of Libyans gathered on Friday in northwestern Libya to attend the funeral of Saif al Islam Gaddafi, the son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was shot dead earlier this week.
Mourners filled the streets of Bani Walid, around 146 kilometres southeast of Tripoli, carrying Saif al Islam’s coffin alongside large portraits of him and his father. The funeral drew supporters from across the region, reflecting the continued symbolic weight of the Gaddafi family more than a decade after the fall of the former regime.
Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya for over 40 years before being overthrown in 2011 and later killed in Sirte as the uprising descended into civil war.
As the funeral procession unfolded and crowds grew, a group of supporters reportedly separated from the main gathering, taking the coffin to complete funeral prayers and burial rites away from the larger procession.
Saif al Islam, 53, was killed on Tuesday inside his home in the town of Zintan, southwest of Tripoli, according to Libya’s public prosecution. Authorities said initial findings confirmed he died from gunshot wounds, without releasing further details.
In a later statement, Saif al Islam’s political team said four masked men stormed his home, disabled security cameras and carried out what they described as a deliberate assassination.
His brother, Mohamed Gaddafi, who lives in exile, said he was unable to attend the funeral but expressed pride in supporters who gathered to honour his brother.
“The pain of loss is deepened by my absence from my homeland,” he wrote on social media. “But it is eased by knowing that loyal sons of the nation are giving him a farewell befitting his place.”