Ten Years Since Muammar Gaddafi's Death: Looking Back at His Life in Politics

20 October marked ten years since Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi was killed by Western-backed rebels in his hometown of Sirte following months of NATO-ruled intervention in the country.

Libya has been gripped by turmoil since Gaddafi was toppled and killed in 2011.

The anniversary of his death comes as the country prepares for the presidential elections scheduled for 24 December. They will be part of a United Nations-led peace process. Since last March, Libya has been ruled by a unity government formed following a ceasefire between warring eastern and western factions.

Check out Sputnik's photo gallery to reflect on Gaddafi's long life in politics.

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Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi smiles to photographers as he leaves the African Hall during the second day of a pre-Summit Committee meeting at the 19th Summit of the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa, 7 June 1983.

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Gaddafi, head of the revolutionary command council, and premier of Libya, looks out of his headquarters in Tripoli, Libya on 5 August 1970 to acknowledge the cheers of some 1,000 people.

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Gaddafi gives a clenched fist salute from his car as he leaves Tripoli's Green Square on 1 September 1987.

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Muammar Gaddafi in Belgrade, Serbia.

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Stevan Kragujević / Moamer el Gadafi (cropped)

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Libyan leader colonel Muammar Gaddafi salutes troops during a military parade on 1 September 1994 in Tripoli for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of his rise to power.

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Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi arrives at Moscow Airport on 27 Apri 1981 to be met by Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev.

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Gaddafi salutes at a welcome ceremony in Beijing, China on 25 October 1982. Standing next to him is the Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang.

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Gaddafi shakes hands with French President Jacques Chirac at the end of their meeting and signature ceremony at the former Presidential Palace in Tripoli on 25 November 2004.

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Gaddafi finishes an address to the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters on 23 September 2009 in New York.

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Gaddafi and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, celebrate the inauguration of the Great Man-Made River on 28 August 1991, in Benghazi, Libya.

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Gaddafi arrives at the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, 23 September 2009.

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A woman holds Gaddafi's portrait during a rally against foreign intervention in Libya in front of the US Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, March 2011.

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Gaddafi at the 12th AU summit in Addis Abeba on 2 February 2009.