World War II mine destroyed off Libyan coast

ANKARA

With Turkish help, Libyan soldiers have carried out a controlled detonation of an underwater World War II mine in the Mediterranean, off the country’s coast.

According to a statement by Turkey's National Defense Ministry, Libyan soldiers destroyed the mine on Monday thanks to training and support provided by the Turkish army's Libya Task Group Command.

“Off the coast of Khoms, Libya, an iron contact mine left behind from World War II was destroyed by the Libyan Naval Forces Central Sector Coast Guard Command under the supervision of our SAS (underwater defense) team," the ministry said on Twitter.

It was the first time an underwater mine was exploded by Libya with support from the Turkish military, it added.

The Turkish military is in the country at the invitation of Libya’s government under a November 2019 bilateral security agreement.