44 killed as air strike hits Libya migrant centre

The government blames the self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Khalifa Haftar, for the airstrike

July 03, 2019 08:01 am | Updated 10:11 pm IST - Tripoli

This picture taken on June 29, 2019 shows smoke plumes rising in Tajoura, south of the Libyan capital Tripoli, following a reported airstrike by forces loyal to retired general Khalifa Haftar.

This picture taken on June 29, 2019 shows smoke plumes rising in Tajoura, south of the Libyan capital Tripoli, following a reported airstrike by forces loyal to retired general Khalifa Haftar.

An air strike hit a detention centre for mainly African migrants in a suburb of the Libyan capital Tripoli late on Tuesday, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 130, the United Nations said.

It was the highest publicly reported toll from an air strike or shelling since eastern forces under Khalifa Haftar launched a ground and aerial offensive three months ago to take Tripoli, the base of Libya’s internationally recognised government.

United Nations Libya envoy Ghassan Salame condemned the strike, saying it “clearly amounts to the level of a war crime”.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said it was the second strike on the centre, even though its coordinates had been communicated to the warring sides.

Libya is a main departure point for African migrants, fleeing poverty and war, to try to reach Italy by boat, but many are picked up and brought back by the Libyan coast guard, supported by the European Union.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.