Thousands converged on Friday in northwestern Libya for the funeral of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son and one-time heir apparent of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed earlier this week when four masked assailants stormed into his home and fatally shot him.

Mourners carried his coffin in the town of Bani Walid, 146 kilometers (91 miles) southeast of the capital, Tripoli, as well as large photographs of both Saif al-Islam, who was known mostly by his first name, and his father.

Muammar Gaddafi ruled the country for more than 40 years before being toppled in 2011. He was killed later that year in his hometown of Sirte as fighting in Libya escalated into a full-blown civil war.

As the funeral procession got underway and the crowds swelled, a small group of supporters took Saif al-Islam's coffin away and later performed the funeral prayers and buried him.

Shot to death

Saif al-Islam, 53, was killed on Tuesday inside his home in the town of Zintan, 136 kilometers (85 miles) southwest of the capital, Tripoli, according to Libyan’s chief prosecutor’s office.

Authorities said an initial investigation found that he was shot to death but did not provide further details.

Saif al-Islam’s political team later released a statement saying “four masked men” had stormed his house and killed him in a “cowardly and treacherous assassination,” after disabling security cameras.

“The pain of loss weighs heavily on my heart, and it intensifies because I can’t bid him farewell from within my homeland — a pain that words can’t ease," Saif al-Islam's brother Mohamed Gaddafi, who lives in exile outside Libya though his current whereabouts are unknown, wrote on Facebook on Friday.

"But my solace lies in the fact that the loyal sons of the nation are fulfilling their duty and will give him a farewell befitting his stature,” the brother wrote.