United Nations, Aug 16 (UNI) At least 90 civilians were killed and hundreds others wounded in communal clashes in the Libyan town of Murzug, the UN Office of the Spokesman said in a statement.
"The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that at least 90 civilians were killed and more than 200 injured as a result of the violent clashes which escalated early this month in Murzuq, southern Libya, including the airstrike that targeted the area on 4 August," the statement said Thursday.
The statement said that the clashes in Murzuq escalated following numerous consecutive precision airstrikes hitting the area on August 4. The fighting also continued during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, disregarding the truce brokered by the United Nations on August 10-11.
An estimated 6,426 people and around 270 migrants from West Africa have been internally displaced since the intensification of violence, the statement added.
Preliminary findings indicated widespread disruption to markets and infrastructure in Murzuq town. The entire area continues to experience electricity outage with very limited telecommunication means.
The UN and humanitarian organizations are providing emergency health care, food distribution, shelter, and non-food items, though access remains a challenge.
After Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011, Libya ceased functioning as a unified state. Two rival governments have split the country in half, with the Libyan National Army (LNA) controlling the east and the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) controlling the west. The capital, Tripoli, has become a battlefield for continuous military operations that have left the city destroyed and hundreds of people killed.
UNI XC JAL 0716