At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says
TRIPOLI: At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said.
The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement.
Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased.
'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said.
Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilization Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday.
Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognized Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
On Tuesday, Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations.
The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighborhood.
The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said.
Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an 'ongoing project,' as a ceasefire after last week's clashes remained in place.
The GNU posted a video on Monday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park.
Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Egypt's al-Sisi orders government to ensure commodity reserves amid regional crisis
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered the government to ensure commodity reserves amid the escalation of the Iranian-Israeli crisis, the president's office said in a statement on Sunday.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Tunisia sentences ex-President Marzouki to 22 years in absentia
A Tunisian court on Friday handed down a 22-year prison sentence in absentia to former President Moncef Marzouki, a fierce critic of President Kais Saied, on charges of undermining state security, raising the opposition's fears of an escalating crackdown against critics. Marzouki, who was president from 2011 to 2014, accuses Saied of establishing an authoritarian regime after dismissing parliament and ruling by decree since he seized almost all powers in 2011. Saied defends his actions as necessary steps to stabilize Tunisia. This is the third ruling against Marzouki, after a court ruled last year to imprison him for eight years and four years before that in various other cases. Commenting on the ruling, Marzouki said from his exile in Paris: 'I say to these judges: your rulings are invalid, and you are invalid ... you will be tried soon.' 'Democracy will return,' he added. Earlier on Friday, another court sentenced Sahbi Atig, a senior official in Ennahda, the country's main opposition party, to 15 years in prison on charges of money laundering, his lawyer said. The 15-year sentence was shorter than some sentences handed down recently. In April, a court sentenced a string of opposition leaders, businessmen and lawyers to prison terms of up to 66 years, on conspiracy charges. Most of the leaders of political parties in Tunisia are in prison, including Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, and Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda - two of Saied's most prominent opponents.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Suicide blast kills 20 anti-jihadist fighters in Nigeria: militia leader
KANO: A suicide attack in Nigeria's Borno state by a woman allegedly acting for Boko Haram has killed at least 20 anti-jihadist fighters, militia fighters said AFP on Saturday. Police have confirmed 10 people have been killed and said the overall toll could be higher. Late on Friday, a woman allegedly detonated explosives strapped to her body at a haunt for vigilantes and local hunters assisting the Nigerian military in fighting 'jihadists' in the town of Konduga, the militia told AFP. 'We lost 20 people in the suicide attack which happened yesterday around 9:15 p.m. (2015 GMT) while our members were hanging out near the fish market,' said Tijjani Ahmed, the head of an anti-jihadist militia in Konduga district. Konduga is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern state of Borno. Surrounding villages have been repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers said to be acting for Boko Haram, a group of armed Islamic militants that has been active in the area for at least 16 years. Konduga town itself had seen a lull in such attacks in the past year. 'Eighteen people died on the spot, while 18 others were injured. Two more died in hospital, raising the death toll to 20,' Ahmed said. A mass burial was held on Saturday, an AFP reporter saw. The alleged bomber was dressed as a local heading to the crowded nearby fish market. She detonated her explosives as soon she reached the shed used by the militia fighters as a hangout, said militia member Ibrahim Liman. He gave the same toll as Ahmed. Borno state police spokesman Nahum Daso told AFP 10 bodies had been recovered from the 'suicide attack.' He said the toll could be higher as 'details are sketchy.' Konduga fish market, which is usually busy at night, has been the target of a series of suicide attacks in the past. The conflict between the authorities and Boko Haram has been ongoing for 16 years. In that time, more than 40,000 people have dioed and around two million been displaced from their homes in the northeast, according to the United Nations. The violence has spread to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight armed militant Islamic groups.
