Libya: Haftar militias retreat, leave 48 bodies behind

Libyan army forces are seen during clashes between Libyan army and warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militias in the areas around Tripoli International Airport on 1 June, 2020 in Tripoli, Libya [Hazem Turkia/Anadolu Agency]

Militias loyal to renegade commander Khalifa Haftar have left 48 corpses behind while fleeing from war zones, the Libyan army said Tuesday.

Mohammed Qanunu, a spokesman for the government-led Operation Volcano of Rage, did not provide further details in his statement but said they had been ordered to take all measures to safeguard against the novel coronavirus while collecting the bodies.

Libya currently has 182 confirmed coronavirus cases and five deaths, according to data from US-based Johns Hopkins University. The number of recoveries stands at 52.

READ: Haftar forces continue shelling Libyan civilians

The pandemic has killed over 380,000 people worldwide, with more than 6.37 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 2.72 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins.

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya’s new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political agreement.

Bloody Haftar – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

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