Libya: Haftar's forces target medical warehouses

By Halime Afra Aksoy

TRIPOLI (AA) - Militias loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar on Sunday attacked medical warehouses belonging to a hospital in the capital treating coronavirus patients.

The militias targeted depots of the Al-Khadra Hospital in al-Swani in the capital Tripoli with Grad missiles, the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said in a statement.

Last week, the UN condemned heavy shelling of the hospital in which at least three civilians were wounded, calling it a "clear violation of international law."

The attacks, according to Libya's Health Ministry, badly damaged the 400-bed facility, and keeping it in operation was difficult.

The North African country has so far reported 25 cases of the virus, and one death.

Since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya, supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.

The GNA has been under attack by Haftar's forces since last April, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.