Libya: More civilians, including child, killed in Tripoli by militias of warlord Haftar

Posted On 11 May 2020

Number of times this article was read : 162

Libya’s Government of National Accord said at least four civilians, including a child, were killed when rockets rained down on the capital Tripoli and its only working airport Saturday. The UN-recognised GNA blamed the attacks on eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has been waging a campaign to take control of the capital since April last year. “The forces of war criminal (Haftar) fired more than a hundred rockets and missiles at residential areas in the centre of the capital Tripoli Saturday”, the GNA said in a statement on Facebook. At least four civilians, including a five-year-old girl, were killed and more than a dozen others wounded in the working-class neighbourhoods of Abu Slim and Ben Gashir south of the city, health ministry spokesman Amin al-Hashemi said.

Dozens of shots targeted Mitiga airport, hitting a civilian aircraft that was preparing to take off to repatriate Libyans stuck abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic, the GNA statement added. The airport was badly damaged and was the target of further rocket fire on Sunday morning. An airport source said two civilian planes suffered serious damage. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called the bombardment “an all too familiar but frightening spectacle”. “These horrifying attacks occur on a regular basis in close proximity to civilian neighbourhoods”, UNSMIL said on Twitter. It called the shelling “one in a series of indiscriminate attacks, most of which are attributable to pro-LNA (Haftar) forces, killing more than 15 and injuring 50 civilians since 1 May”.

AFP
Other Articles in this Week's Issue<< Sahel: Bandits on motorbikes sow terror in Niger’s Tillaberi regionSahel: Mauritania lifts ban on mosque prayer >>
The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State

Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State

Lafarge’s indictment for financing terrorism reveals corporate entanglements with ISIS to maintain operations in Syria. In Personne morale, Justine Augier exposes how multinationals like Lafarge navigate ethics and profit in conflict zones, raising questions on global accountability.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This