, Feb. 4 -- Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and once widely viewed as his political successor, has been killed in western Libya, according to figures close to him.

Saif al-Islam, 53, was killed in the city of Zintan, where he had been living since 2011. His political adviser Abdullah Othman and lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi confirmed his death on Tuesday.

A statement issued by his political team said he was assassinated after four masked attackers broke into his home in Zintan, reports Al Jazeera.

Before the 2011 uprising, Saif al-Islam was regarded as Libya's second-most powerful figure and the likely heir to his father's rule. During the Arab Spring protests and the ensuing civil war, he remaine...