Groups from Zintan joined in the Libyan civil war. The Battle of Zintan reportedly began when the Gaddafi-led government forces arrived to recruit 1,000 soldiers. Insulted by the proposal to fight fellow Libyans, a group formed in Zintan to protest. As the group grew, pro-Gaddafi forces attacked but local groups counterattacked with seized weapons, "rout[ing]" a large, heavily armed government convoy on 19-20 March.
The Zintan people were responsible for the capture of Saif al-Islam, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi. He was captured on 19 November 2011, nearly a month after his father's death, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of the town of Ubari near Sabha in southern Libya. After his father, Saif al-Islam was the second most-widely recognized political figure in Libya. He is currently being held as a prisoner in the city of Zintan
