Artillery shelling in the Libyan city of Gharyan has resulted in the death of 180 members of the pro-Haftar militias and wounded 12 others, Russia Today (RT) sources said.
RT said that a military source spoke on condition of anonymity in the city of Gharyan in the north-west of Libya and said that heavy artillery shelling on a military base in Bir Al-Ghanam caused the deaths.
The sources said that all of them were from Al-Qa’qa Brigades, affiliated with renegade Colonel Khalifa Haftar and the government he assigned.
Libyan newspaper Al-Wasat confirmed the news and said that the rebels in Gharyan noticed Haftar’s militias in the military base, which is out of the range of their artillery shelling. They moved 10 kilometres forward them and started shelling on Saturday at 5.15pm, 10 returned back safely.
Sources said that 10 of those killed were from Al-Zintan and most of the others were African mercenaries.
The sources said that the militias buried the dead at night in order not to enrage the public.
According to the same sources, the roads between Gharyan and Aziziya still closed because of the dangers posed by the armed militias.