Russians accused of planting mines around Tripoli

THE US military yesterday accused Russian mercenaries supporting eastern Libyan forces of planting landmines around the capital, Tripoli, in contravention of a United Nations arms embargo on the war-torn state.

The US Africa Command said it had “verified photographic evidence [to] show indiscriminately placed booby traps and minefields around the outskirts of Tripoli down to Sirte since mid-june”. It attributed the action to the Moscow-sponsored Wagner Group, a private military company.

“Wagner Group’s reckless use of landmines and booby traps are harming innocent civilians,” said Rear Admiral Heidi Berg, Africom’s director of intelligence.

There was no immediate response from Moscow, which has repeatedly denied involvement in Libya, or Wagner Group, which Africom says has 2,000 mercenaries in the country.

In May, Russia dismissed accusations by Africom that it had deployed 14 MIG-29 fighters to Libya to support Russian mercenaries aiding eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar.