Civilians among over 100 victims of Libya mines: UN

MINES have killed or wounded more than 100 people, including many civilians, south of Libya’s capital following deadly combat between rival forces, the UN said Sunday.

“Mines and improvised explosive devices (planted) in or near homes have caused more than 100 victims,” including civilians and mine disposal experts, UNSMIL, the UN mission in Libya, said in a statement.

It did not give a breakdown of killed or wounded.

The toll was for casualties since early June, it said following a meeting in Rome between interim UN envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams and Government of National Accord head Fayez al-Sarraj.

Earlier this month, the Tripoli-based GNA recognised by the UN regained full control of the capital and its suburbs after more than a year of fighting off an offensive by eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Haftar’s forces have been accused by the GNA, the UN and Human Rights Watch (HRW) of laying mines in residential southern suburbs of the capital.

HRW said earlier this month that antipersonnel mines discovered in May were “of Soviet and Russian origin”.

At the Rome meeting, Williams also expressed concern over reports claiming that “mercenaries of various nationalities” had been deployed in Libyan oil installations.

On Friday, the country’s National Oil Corporation said Russian and other foreign mercenaries had entered the key Al-Sharara oil field the previous day.

Al-Sharara is under the control of forces loyal to Haftar, who is backed by Russia.