Libya: Haftar's landmines kill 7 people

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 July 2020 in Tripoli, Libya [Hazem Turkia/Anadolu Agency]

At least seven people were killed Wednesday in landmine explosions in southern Tripoli, a health official said, Anadolu reports.

The mines were planted by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia before they fled their positions as the Libyan army liberated captured territory.

“The explosions took place in the areas of Airport Road, Wadi Al-Rabi and Ain Zara,” Amin al-Hashemi, a media advisor for the Health Ministry, told Anadolu Agency.

Among the fatalities are two officials from the mine clearance units. The rest are civilians.

The Libyan government has been under attack by Haftar’s forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

The government launched Operation Peace Storm in March to counter attacks on the capital and recently regained strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase and Tarhuna, which is viewed as a significant blow to Haftar’s forces.

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