Abd al-Rahman Milad, a former head of Libya’s coastguard and a notorious figure in people and fuel trafficking, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen on Sunday. Milad, also known as Al-Bidja, was killed in the town of Sayyad, about 25 kilometers west of the capital, Tripoli, near the Janzour Naval Academy, which he had commanded.
Images circulating on news websites and social media showed Milad’s bullet-riddled white SUV, with his lifeless body inside. The attackers’ identities and motives remain unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah expressed sorrow over the killing and ordered an urgent investigation. Similarly, Abdallah Allafi of Libya’s Presidential Council condemned the attack and vowed that those responsible would face consequences.
Milad, 34, was infamous for his involvement in smuggling operations, including the trafficking of migrants and fuel. In 2018, the UN Security Council sanctioned him as one of six key figures in Libya’s migrant trafficking networks, leading to an Interpol red notice against him.
He was arrested by Libyan authorities in 2020 but released in 2021 and later took charge of a coastguard unit tasked with combatting illegal migration.
Libya has been deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of former president Moamer Kadhafi, with rival administrations in the east and west vying for control. Amidst this chaos, Libya has become a major hub for migrants attempting dangerous journeys to Europe, with regions like Zawiya—Milad’s base of operations—serving as key departure points for these perilous crossings.