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2019.10.15 02:50 GMT+8

Libyan officials: Airstrike kills 4 civilians in Tripoli

Updated 2019.10.15 02:50 GMT+8
CGTN

A view of a house hit by airstrike of the Haftars forces in Tripoli, Libya on October 14 2019./ Getty Images

Libyan health authorities on Monday said an airstrike slammed into a house in the capital, Tripoli, killing at least four people and wounding four others, including a child.

Currently, the North African country is grappling with increased fighting between Tripoli-based GNA forces led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarra and forces loyal to General Khalifa, holding eastern Libya.

The Tripoli-based government blamed the airstrike on Hifter's forces. The health ministry said the airstrike took place Monday in Tripoli's Firnaj district, a few kilometers (miles) from the city center.

Fighting has stalled in recent weeks, with both sides dug in and shelling one another along Tripoli's southern reaches. The fighting has killed hundreds and displaced thousands of people.

There was no immediate comment from Hifter's forces on the airstrike.

Libya has been dogged by fighting since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi's death created a void that various militant groups sought to fill, leading to violent clashes that killed thousands and displaced millions of people.

The U.N. and international partners have called for dialogue between the warring sides to end the chaos, with the aim of forming a unity government and later holding national elections.

Source(s): AP
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