Libya: Six more bodies unearthed from mass graves

By Enes Canli

TRIPOLI (AA) – Six more corpses have been discovered in mass graves in Libya’s western city of Tarhuna, officials said Thursday.

The bodies were unearthed during ongoing excavation work, according to a statement by a Libyan government team conducting search activities in the area.

A total of 30 corpses have been found in Tarhuna so far, the statement said.

On June 10, Libyan officials said 10 more bodies had been found in a mass grave in the city.

The remains of nine corpses were also found south of the capital Tripoli on June 28.

Libyan authorities had announced that there were 11 mass graves in and around the city.

The Libyan army recently inflicted heavy blows on militias loyal to renegade commander Khalifa Haftar and liberated Tripoli and Tarhuna in addition to other strategic locations, including Al-Watiya airbase.

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Libya's government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by Haftar’s forces.

The internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's militias since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan from Ankara