Monday, July 21, 2014

Libya airport fighting kills 47

Via Susan


A picture taken on July 16, 2014, shows flames and smoke billowing from an airplane at the Tripoli international airport in the Libyan capital. Credit: Mahmud Turkia/AFP 


An Islamist-led militia has stepped up its assault on Libya's main airport, controlled by rival fighters, which the health ministry said on Monday had left at least 47 dead in a week.

The fighting, which erupted on July 13 and shut Tripoli international airport, also injured 120 people, according to figures for the week until Saturday.

The European Union condemned a fresh outbreak of violence on Sunday, two days after the collapse of a truce with the militia controlling the airport, which left five civilians dead according to local media.

A coalition of militias led by Islamist fighters launched an assault on the airport on Sunday, with clashes later spreading along the road to the capital.

By Sunday evening, fighting had subsided around the airport, security official Al-Jilani al-Dahesh told AFP, but clashes continued in the western suburbs of the capital, witnesses said.

"The airport was attacked this morning with mortar rounds, rockets and tank fire," Al-Dahesh told AFP.

"It was the most intense bombardment so far."

                                                                   More @ ifrica

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