UN mission in Libya condemns air strike against civilian zone in Tripoli
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN Support mission in Libya Tuesday condemned the air strike carried out against the zone of Tripoli on Monday that killed innocent children, a statement issued here and reaching PANA said.
According to the mission, the bombardment “killed three innocent girls belonging to the same family”, wounded a fourth child and his mother of the same family.
The attack, it said, was perpetrated by jets of the Libyan national army commanded by Marshall Khalifa Haftar.
It therefore called on countries and concerned organisations to deploy all efforts to end violations of the international humanitarian law and human rights in Libya.
Medical sources had said on Monday that three children were killed in the bombardment by war planes against the district of Fornaj in southern Tripoli.
The ministry of Health of the government of national accord said the bombardment also caused huge material damage to the building that accommodated the ministry’s staff.
The UN mission said it was “shocked by that attack against a zone inhabited by civilians in Tripoli, killing innocent children”.
It also deplored the fact that “innocent children pay the highest price once again” after a previous attack that had targeted an equestrian club in Janzour.
After condemning strongly the attack, the UN mission called for the immediate end of those anarchic attacks the latest of which was perpetrated days ago after the raid against the equestrian club which also claimed the lives of innocent children.
"The mission will not be inactive before these war crimes that occurred and the daily sacrifice of innocent lives," said the statement issued by the Mission Monday, urging the concerned countries and organisations to take measures to end the violation of international humanitarian law and human rights in Libya.
The presidential council of the government of national accord chaired by Fayez Sarraj and recognized by the international community condemned Monday’s attack and accused the fighter jets of Marshall Haftar of carrying out that bombardment.
But the spokesperson for the General Commandment of the Libyan National Army, General Ahmed Mesmari, in a communiqué issued on his Facebook page, said that the air raid targeted “a base of the intelligence services in the district of Fornaj, used as operation chamber for the armed militias”.
Mesmari denied targeting civilian sites by the war planes or during land operations carried out by the forces of the general commandment.
The Libyan capital, Tripoli, and its suburb are affected by the consequences of the armed clashes which broke out on 4 April between forces of Haftar and those of the government of national accord, leaving at least 1,093 killed, 6,000 wounded and about 120,000 displaced.
-0- PANA MA/IN/BEH/MSA/RA 15Oct2019
