Haftar's forces hit Libya displacement shelter, killing two

At least two people were killed after Haftar forces targeted a displacement shelter on Saturday, reports confirmed.
2 min read
17 May, 2020
The battle over Tripoli has displaced around 200,000 people [Getty]
Shelling by forces loyal to rogue General Khalifa Haftar hit a Libyan displaced people's shelter on Saturday, killing two people according to the emergency services.

The Libyan capital has been under bombardment by Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), which launched an offensive last year to capture Tripoli from the United Nations-backed government.

Shelling near a frontline in the battle hit a shelter home to people displaced from their homes in earlier rounds of fighting, said Usama Ali, spokesman for Tripoli's emergency and ambulance service. Two people were killed in the bombardment.

The shelling caused a fire in the shelter located in the Fornaj district, Reuters cited Ali as saying. He added that the emergency services were attempting to evacuate the displaced people and relocate them elsewhere.

Fighting between Haftar's forces and those allied with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) has continued despite major international ceasefire efforts and pleas from the UN to cease hostilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In March, the GNA – backed by the Turkish military – launched a counteroffensive against Haftar, who receives military and diplomatic backing from Russia, Egypt, and the UAE.

Haftar's forces are responsible for the majority of civilian deaths resulting from conflict in Libya this year, according to a UN report

The majority of these deaths resulted from air strikes and shelling operations, according to the UN. 

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