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LIBYA-AIRSTRIKE-DEATH
Air strikes kill at least 2 civilians in eastern Libya
TRIPOLI, June 3, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – At least two civilians were killed by
air strikes carried out by Libya’s eastern-based army targeting the eastern
Libyan city of Darna, head of the city council confirmed on Saturday.
“At least two civilians were killed by four air strikes targeting various
locations in the city, specifically at the populated western entrance of the
city,” Awad L’eraj told Xinhua later on Saturday.
“The city is besieged from all directions, as military forces are trying to
break into it without taking into account the civilians and the losses they
would suffer by the continuous air strikes and shelling,” L’eraj said.
He called on international organizations to “lift the siege on Darna and
enable entry of medicine and food, as civilians are on the brink of famine.”
However, no international organization can provide any aids without prior
authorization by Libya’s eastern-based army, which is besieging the city,
L’eraj added.
The official accused Tripoli-based UN-backed government of “abandoning
Darna and its residents”, after the government announced it was unable to
provide any aids for the city due to the military action.
The UN Support Mission in Libya on Friday said that at least 17 civilians
had been killed and 22 others wounded in Darna over the past two weeks, as a
result of the fighting between the army and militants.
The mission also confirmed that some 125,000 people in Darna were suffering
power blackouts and water shortage, appealing to all parties in Darna to
“allow unfettered and safe access” by humanitarian workers.
The eastern-based army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, has been besieging
Darna since 2015 and demanding the armed group of the Shura Council of
Mujahideen of Darna leave the city. The army accuses the group of being loyal
to al-Qaida.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1057 hrs