A drone air strike by eastern Libyan forces on the southern Libyan town of Murzuq has killed at least 43 people, a local official said on Monday.

The eastern Libyan National Army force (LNA) forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar confirmed a strike late on Sunday on the town, but denied they had targeted any civilians.

The Tripoli-based internationally recognised government opposing Haftar said dozens were killed and wounded.

Reached by telephone, Murzuq municipal council member Mohamed Omar told Reuters: "The air strike resulted in 43 killed and 51 wounded. This is only an initial toll of casualties."

The LNA had at the start of the year taken Murzuq as part of an offensive to control the oil-producing south. But it later moved out to concentrate forces north where it has been trying to take the capital Tripoli in a four-month campaign.

The LNA said in a statement its strike had targeted "Chadian opposition fighters", a phrase that usually refers to Tebu tribesmen opposing them in the area. </s> Yesterday, August 4th 2019, an airstrike by the eastern Libyan forces on the town of Murzuq killed at least 43 and wounded 51.

The Libyan National Army (LNA), loyal to Khalifa Haftar, claimed the strike had targeted ‘Chadian opposition fighters’ – a phase often used to refer to Tebu tribesmen that oppose the LNA.

Local media reported that the attack targeted a wedding procession. The victims were all said to be from the Tebu tribe.

AOAV records casualties (i.e. people killed and injured) from explosive violence around the world as reported in English-language news sources.

Last year, AOAV recorded a significant increase in casualties from explosive violence in Libya, with 392 civilian casualties recorded, compared to 163 the previous year – amounting to an rise of 140%.

In the first half of 2019, AOAV recorded a further 223 civilian casualties from explosive violence in Libya. While, this is a decrease compared to the same period last year, when 339 civilian deaths and injuries were recorded, the nature of the violence has changed. Indeed, civilian casualties from airstrikes and shelling have increased since Haftar’s forces launched an offensive to seize the capital earlier this year.

AOAV recorded 121 civilian casualties from airstrikes between January and June 2019, compared to 19 in the same period the previous year. While civilian casualties from shelling increased from 43 to 80.

AOAV condemns the use of violence against civilians and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. AOAV encourages all armed actors to stop using explosive weapons with wide-area affects where there is likely to be a high concentration of civilians. </s> Tripoli: A force loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar announced on Thursday it had taken control of a key oil field in the conflict-wracked country's south. Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) "have peacefully taken control of the Al-Fil field", spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari said on Facebook.

The Al-Fil field currently produces about 73,000 barrels a day and is managed by Mellitah Oil and Gas, a joint venture between Italy's Eni and Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC). The North African country has been torn between rival administrations, myriad militias and jihadists since the overthrow and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord is recognised by the international community, but a parallel administration in eastern Libya is backed by the LNA.

Since mid-January, the LNA has been conducting a military operation in the south aimed at rooting out "terrorists" and foreign fighters. It already controls most of the important oil terminals in the country's east, and earlier this month it seized the Al-Sharara field some 900 kilometres (560 miles) south of Tripoli. It entrusts the management of those sites to the NOC — which tries to juggle ties with the rival camps. In a separate incident in the country's south, armed men murdered a security official in the town of Murzuk, the UN-backed government said, a day after LNA forces entered.

General Ibrahim Mohamad Kari was killed on Wednesday by "an outlawed armed group", the government said, calling the killing a "cowardly crime" and vowing to bring the culprits to justice. Libyan media said Kari, a member of the minority Tubu community, was killed when armed men raided his home in Murzuk. On Wednesday night, Haftar's LNA said it had entered and taken control of Murzuk as part of the offensive launched in January. Haftar's forces have accused some Tubu of supporting the Chadian rebels.

Murzuk is a stronghold of the Tubus, many of whom are opposed to Haftar's offensive, and lies in a region where tensions run high between them and Arab tribes, who have largely joined LNA ranks.

Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button. </s> Yosri al-Jamal, Reuters | A member of the Libyan internationally recognised government forces is seen during a fight with Eastern forces, in southern Tripoli, Libya June 22, 2019.

A drone air strike by eastern Libyan forces on the southern Libyan town of Murzuq has killed at least 43 people, a local official said on Monday.

Advertising Read more

The attack is the second major air strike blamed on the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar after at least 44 migrants were killed in June when a detention centre in a suburb of the capital Tripoli was hit.

The LNA confirmed a strike late on Sunday on Murzuq, but denied it had targeted any civilians. The LNA had also denied it had hit the detention centre but acknowledged increased air strikes on the capital.

The internationally recognised government based in Tripoli opposing Haftar said dozens were killed and wounded in Murzuq.

Reached by telephone, Murzuq municipal council member Mohamed Omar told Reuters: "The air strike resulted in 43 killed and 51 wounded. This is only an initial toll of casualties."

The LNA seized Murzuq at the start of this year as part of an offensive to control the oil-producing south. But it later moved out to concentrate forces north where it has been trying vto take the capital Tripoli in a four-month campaign.

The LNA said in a statement its strike had targeted "Chadian opposition fighters", a phrase that usually refers to Tebu tribesmen opposing them in the area.

Haftar's LNA, allied to a parallel government based in eastern Libya, has seen its advance on Tripoli held up by robust defences on the outskirts of the capital, and said it would start heavy air strikes after "traditional means" of war had been exhausted.

On Sunday, the U.N. Libya mission (UNSMIL) condemned in a statement "the repeated indiscriminate shelling" of Tripoli's only functioning airport after several strikes in the past days.

The United Nations did not name the LNA but said the attacks had "continued unabated" since the start of the LNA offensive on Tripoli.

There was no immediate U.N. comment on the Murzuq strike.

Haftar's attempt to capture Tripoli has derailed U.N. attempts to broker an end to the chaos that has prevailed in Libya since the NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

(REUTERS) </s> TRIPOLI, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A drone air strike by eastern Libyan forces on the southern Libyan town of Murzuq has killed at least 43 people, a local official said on Monday.

The attack is the second major air strike blamed on the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar after at least 44 migrants were killed in June, when a detention centre in a suburb of the capital Tripoli was hit.

The LNA confirmed a strike late on Sunday on Murzuq, but denied it had targeted any civilians. The LNA had also denied it had hit the detention centre but acknowledged increased air strikes on the capital as part of an offensive to seize Tripoli - home to the internationally recognised government - part of the chaos in the oil producer since 2011.

"The air strike resulted in 43 killed and 51 wounded. This is only an initial toll of casualties," Murzuq municipal council member Mohamed Omar told Reuters in a phone interview.

He said the done strike had targeted a town hall meeting where residents were holding discussions after days of clashes between rival tribesmen.

The LNA seized Murzuq at the start of this year as part of an offensive to control the oil-producing south. It later moved out to concentrate forces north where it has been trying to take the capital Tripoli in a four-month campaign.

The LNA said in a statement its strike had targeted "Chadian opposition fighters," a phrase that usually refers to Tebu tribesmen opposing them in the area.

Haftar's LNA, allied to a parallel government based in eastern Libya, has seen its advance on Tripoli held up by robust defences on the outskirts of the capital, and said it would start heavy air strikes after "traditional means" of war had been exhausted.

Haftar is backed militarily by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which see him as a bulwark against Islamists, a narrative supported by some Western countries that have been reluctant to openly criticize the former general under Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled and killed in 2011.

The European Union said in a statement that the Murzuq strike had "claimed the lives of civilians" and those committing war crimes needed to be brought to justice. But it did not mention the LNA.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement issued a day after the strikes that it was "extremely concerned by reports on the continuation of acts of violence in Murzuq, including a number of air strikes." It did not mention the LNA.

Haftar's attempt to capture Tripoli has derailed U.N. attempts to broker an end to the chaos that has prevailed in Libya since the NATO-backed overthrow of Gaddafi. </s> An airstrike on the southern Libyan town of Murzuq has killed at least 42 people and injured dozens more, the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said on Monday.

The attack on Sunday, which the GNA blamed on eastern forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, came as Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) continues its efforts to take control of the country. The two sides have increasingly used aerial attacks in recent weeks after fighting stalled on the ground.

The LNA confirmed responsibility for the airstrike in Murzuq late on Sunday, but denied targeting civilians, saying the raid was aimed at "Chadian opposition fighters," a phrase usually used by the LNA to describe Tebu tribesmen fighting against them.

Read more: Could Libya be Russia's new Syria?

The attack is the second major one to be blamed on the LNA after at least 44 migrants were killed in June in an air raid on a detention center in a suburb of the capital, Tripoli, in the north of the country. At the time, the LNA also denied targeting the detention center, though it admitted stepping up its airstrikes in the capital.

Haftar, who is allied with a rival government based in eastern Libya, has been fighting to force pro-GNA forces from Tripoli since April, after taking control of large areas of the oil-producing south, including Murzuq, earlier in the year. His advance on the city, where the GNA has its administrative seat, has been slowed by dogged resistance by government forces.

Read more: Libya's refugees caught in the crossfire of war

In another incident highlighting Libya's conflict-ridden situation, a Libyan airliner on Sunday narrowly escaped being hit by bombing as it landed at Tripoli's only functioning airport, Mitiga International Airport, according to aviation officials.

The plane was carrying 124 passengers on a flight from Libya's second-most populous city of Benghazi, the airport's management wrote on Facebook.

The bombing forced the airport to stop its operations and reroute flights to Misrata, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) further south, until late Sunday night.

The UN on Sunday condemned the "repeated indiscriminate shelling targeting Mitiga airport, the only indispensable functioning airport available for use by millions of civilians" and for aid deliveries in Tripoli. The airport, just east of of the capital, is a former military air base that has been used for civilian flights since Tripoli's international airport was severely damaged during fighting in 2014.

Haftar has accused pro-GNA forces of still using the airport for military purposes.

Libya has fallen into chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. A plethora of armed groups is now vying for control of the country or various regions of it.

The World Health Organization says that nearly 1,100 people have died in the fighting between the GNA and the LNA forces since April. More than 100,000 civilians have been forced to leave their homes, it says.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Misrata's air college has been attacked by Libyan National Army forces early on Tuesday, a military source told Reuters.

"Massive explosions were heard across the city," said a Misrata resident, reported by Reuters.

Misrata is Libyan coastal city that lies to the west of the capital Tripoli and is regarded as the main base of Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

On Monday, a drone airstrike LNA forces on the southern Libyan town of Murzuq has killed at least 43 people, a local official said, reported by Reuters.

Libya has been suffering from unrest since 2011, when its long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed. Since then the country has been divided between two rival governments. The GNA, established by the international community with its capital in Tripoli, enjoys the support of the UN and controls the western part of the country. But its authority is disputed by the LNA, led by Haftar, who is loyal to the elected legislative body in Tobruk and controls the country's east. </s> A series of French airstrikes targeted a group of “mercenaries and terrorists” from Libya, Chad's defence minister told RFI on Monday. French airstrikes on Sunday struck a column of 40 vehicles that crossed into Chad from southern Libya, according to the French military, which said it got involved at the Chadian government's request.

French Mirage jets and the Chadian army “jointly intervened” on Sunday evening, according to a statement from the French army. The airstrikes targeted a convoy of 40 pickup trucks of an armed group that had travelled from Libya and was “penetrating deep into Chadian territory”.

The fighter jets, based at the N'Djamena base, first carried out a “show of force” flying low over the convoy. However, the column continued despite the warning and the French air force carried out two airstrikes, said the statement from the French defence ministry .

Chad's defence minister told RFI that it was a group of mercenaries and terrorists from Libya, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, who attempted to cross into Chad to “destabilise” the country.

“France helped us neutralise this column which was destroyed by our military aircraft,” said Daoud Yaya, head of Chad's armed forces.

“There's instability in Libya – it's full of terrorists,” said Yaya, adding that his government and French forces were ready to the same thing again if necessary. “We have bilateral cooperation with France and France intervened, they helped us to stop this column,” he added.

Internal Chadian affairs

However, the Union of Forces of Resistance (UFR) rebel group told RFI that the French government must stop meddling in Chad's “internal problems”, saying the strike had targeted its men.

“I find this hostility towards the Chadian people – it doesn't make any sense, because we think it's an internal problem,” said Youssouf Hamid, a spokeperson for the Union of Forces of Resistance (UFR) rebel group.

Hamid denied that the UFR group had been in southern Libya, saying it was on the Chadian-Libyan border, not in Libya's territory. He said two of their vehicles had been destroyed and some fighters injured by the airstrikes.

“When they say that it's a joint operation, joint in which sense? Was it Chadian pilots who flew the planes, no the pilots are French and they're French planes,” Hamid told RFI in a telephone interview. “It's unacceptable, France must review this position.”

UFR was formed in January 2009 by eight rebel groups opposed to Chad's President Idriss Deby, who came to power in 1990 after ousting his former boss Hissene Habre. </s> The Libyan National Army has been trying to seize the capital since April, engaging in violent combat with the forces of the UN-recognized government.

An airstrike allegedly by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar hit a field hospital near the Libyan capital of Tripoli killing five doctors and injured at least eight medical personnel late Saturday, according to the Tripoli-based and U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

"The field hospital located on the airport road [southern Tripoli] was hit by an air raid," said health ministry spokesperson Lamine al-Hashemi.

"Five doctors were killed and seven other people, including rescuers, were wounded," in the assault that al-Hashemi said was carried out by "a Haftar warplane." Haftar's forces have not yet made any confirmation or denial of responsibility.

Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) has been trying to capture Tripoli since April, engaging in violent combat with GNA forces on the capital’s outskirts. The fighting has killed local civilians and refugees, as airstrikes and skirmishes have wounded 5,000 and killed nearly 1,000 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

From 2014 and on, Libya has had two political power centers, the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, that is having a hard time governing the capital city and some western areas, and another government in Tobruk, an eastern city which has remained under Haftar's control.

The North-African nation which has major oil reserves had been under foreign rule for centuries and gained independence in 1951. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi seized power in 1969 and ruled the country for four decades until he was ousted in 2011 by Western military intervention.

The country has since been in chaos with political forces unable to stabilize it. It also transformed in a key point of departure for migrants heading for Europe, and a source of international concern over the rise of Islamists groups.
A Libyan National Army airstrike on the southern Libyan town of Murzuk reportedly kills at least 43 people and injures 51 others, according to local officials. An LNA spokesperson says the raid had targeted "Chadian mercenaries".