Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the heir apparent of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed.

According to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, the 53-year-old died after he was shot and killed in the western Libyan city of Zintan, where he had been living under the protection of local militias since 2011.

Mr Gaddafi’s death was later confirmed by his political adviser, Abdullah Othman. However, details surrounding the killing remain unclear as Libyan authorities have yet to officially comment on the situation.

He was captured by Zintan militia in 2011 while attempting to flee to Niger following the fall of his father’s regime, but was released from prison in 2017 following a pardon from the group, which had protected him until his death.

In 2015, International Criminal Court-backed Libyan authorities sought the extradition of Mr Gaddafi from Zintan after he was sentenced to death in absentia over allegations of crimes against humanity he committed alongside his father in 2011.

Meanwhile, the de facto independent power in Zintan refused to hand over Mr Gaddafi, who was seen as an influential political figure in Libya, to the central government.

He spent many years living underground in Zintan to avoid assassination following his release from prison.