UPDATE - Libya: 100+ bodies found in hospital of Tarhuna city

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Mucahit Aydemir

ANKARA (AA) - Libya on Friday announced that it had found 106 bodies, including women and children, in a hospital in the city of Tarhuna soon after it was liberated from forces loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar.

A written statement by the Libyan government's Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) Operation said that according to initial evaluations, the victims had been executed.

Images shared by the operation’s press office depicted numerous body bags in the halls and rooms of the hospital.

- Some unidentifiable

Health Ministry spokesman Amin al-Hashemi said there were signs of torture on most of the bodies.

Stating that some bodies could not be identified, al-Hashemi underlined that war crimes violated all local and international laws.

Authorities did not provide further information on the details of the incident and the perpetrators.

The strategically important city of Tarhuna, regarded as the last stronghold of warlord Khalifa Haftar, was liberated by the Libyan army on Friday.

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

In March, the Libyan government launched Operation Peace Storm to counter attacks on the capital and recently regained strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase and Tarhuna city, seen as a significant blow to Haftar's forces.

* Ali Murat Alhas and Sena Guler contributed to this story