Rebel Military Commander; former Interior Minister
“I made my decision. I am with the Libyan people against oppression.”Attribution unverified
Abdel Fattah Younes was one of Gaddafi's oldest and most trusted lieutenants — one of the original Free Officers who carried out the 1969 coup with him, and most recently serving as Interior Minister. When the Benghazi uprising erupted in February 2011, Younes made the dramatic decision to defect to the rebels, bringing with him military expertise that the ragged revolutionary forces desperately needed. His defection was a severe symbolic blow to Gaddafi, demonstrating that even his inner circle was abandoning him.
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Gaddafi's interior minister who defected to the rebels and was then assassinated by them in 2011.
February 17, 2011 · ~500 total casualties
March–August 2011 · ~2,000 total casualties
c. 1944
🌅 Birth
Born in eastern Libya
September 1, 1969
📍 Posting
Co-leads Gaddafi's coup as Free Officer
2000s
📍 Posting
Serves as Interior Minister under Gaddafi
February 22, 2011
⚔️ Battle
Defects to rebel NTC in Benghazi; major blow to Gaddafi
July 28, 2011
✝️ Death
Assassinated by rebel faction while summoned for questioning