Libya: Haftar use Daesh/ISIS tactic while withdrawing

ANKARA

Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia is trapping mines in residential areas, similar to terrorist group Daesh/ISIS, while withdrawing south of the capital, the Libyan army said Friday.

A news team of the government-led Burkan Al-Ghadab, or Volcano of Rage, Operation said some mines were trapped to explode during vehicle passage while others when someone went near it.

The government, also known as the Government of National Accord (GNA), has been under attack by Haftar’s forces since April 2019.

His illegal forces in eastern Libya have launched several attacks to capture Tripoli, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

Stressing its concern about recent death sentences pronounced by military courts in eastern Libya, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Twitter said: "We have been informed of at least 13 death sentences issued by Benghazi High Court & 4 by an al-Bayda Court, in potential violation of Libya’s intl. human rights law obligations."

"Defendants haven't been permitted to present their case or have evidence against them examined &that following trials, sentences have been handed down secretly w/o written, reasoned judgements provided to defendants or lawyers," it added.

UNSMIL urged all parties to avoid military escalation over the military developments and mobilization around the Tarhouna. "UNSMIL reminds all parties of their obligations in accordance with international humanitarian law and warns against any acts of retribution, including attacks against civilians, extra judicial punishments, looting, robberies and torching of public and private properties."

Having liberated three towns in the past 72 hours, the army announced Thursday its next move would be toward Mizdah, which is of critical importance as it stretches to Tarhouna which is used by Haftar’s militia as an operational and logistics center.

The government launched Operation Peace Storm on March 26 to counter attacks on the capital. Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.