Libya marks tenth anniversary of 2011 revolution

By Mucahit Aydemir

TRIPOLI (AA) - Libyans marked the tenth anniversary of the 2011 revolution on Wednesday which ended 42 years of rulership under Muammar Gaddafi.

Celebrations were held on streets and at squares in various cities, including Misrata, Zawiya, Zintan, Sabha, and in the capital Tripoli.

There were no official celebrations in the second city of Benghazi that saw the first protests against the Gaddafi regime during the Feb. 17 Revolution.

Benghazi also became the first city to be liberated from Gaddafi's forces in 2011.

The first anti-regime government, the National Transitional Council, was established in Benghazi which is currently under the control of the forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar.

Meanwhile, a child was killed Wednesday when a shell struck a group celebrating the revolution in Sabha, according to the local government.

More than 10 people were injured, mostly children, Sabha Municipal Council spokesman Osaa al-Wafi told Anadolu Agency.

Al-Wafi called the attack a “heinous crime” and said authorities have launched an investigation.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

A popular revolution ousted Gaddafi on Feb. 17, 2011. The country soon fell into a political deadlock, with Haftar seeking to seize power and overthrow the internationally recognized government.

Libya's rival political groups agreed Feb. 5, during UN-mediated talks in Geneva, to form an interim authority that will lead the country to elections in December.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz