East Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army launched rocket attacks on Tripoli on Wednesday, killing four civilians, reported TRT World.
According to the Health Ministry under the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), three children from the same family were killed in the first attack in southern Tripoli’s Ain Zara suburb. In another attack in the capital’s Bab Bin Ghashir district later on the same day, one woman was killed when a rocket struck her car, also wounding her daughter and niece.
Libya has been facing a war between the GNA and Haftar’s militiamen since last April. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence since then.
Heavy fighting between GNA forces and Haftar militia has been ongoing since Wednesday. The rival sides had agreed to cease-fire on Jan. 12. However, both parties have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire deal.
Haftar and his militia are mainly getting support from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, while the GNA in Tripoli enjoys UN and international recognition.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the European Union and several other countries urged the parties to the conflict in Libya to declare an immediate humanitarian cease-fire to curb the threat of the coronavirus. The appeal was made by the Embassies of Algeria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the Delegation of the European Union and the governments of Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
In a joint statement, the signatories called for stopping of transfer of all military equipment and personnel into Libya to let the local authorities prepare for the unprecedented public health challenge posed by Covid-19.
Out of over 199,000 globally confirmed cases, the death toll has crossed a whopping 7,900. More than 82,500 patients have also recovered from the deadly virus, according to Worldometer, a website that compiles new case numbers.
