Rockets hit Libya's capital, killing 15 - health ministry

Rocket and shellfire on Libya's capital Tripoli killed at least 13 civilians and two policemen in the last two days, the country's UN-recognised government said on Friday.

The Government of National Accord (GNA) accused militants loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar of carrying out the attacks, which it said continued overnight Thursday.

Amin al Hashemi, spokesman for the GNA health ministry, said "indiscriminate" attacks with rockets and shells hit several parts of the capital. The projectiles also wounded some 50 civilians, he said.

"The attacks caused huge material damage, namely in Abu Slim and Tajoura" districts south and east of Tripoli respectively, he added.

Overnight Thursday to Friday rockets also fell on the Zawiyat al Dahmani neighbourhood, which is home to the GNA foreign ministry and the Italian and Turkish embassies. At least two policemen and one civilian were killed there, Hashemi said.

Militants loyal to Haftar have been battling to seize Tripoli from the GNA since April 2019.

The battle for the capital has left hundreds dead, including dozens of civilians, and more than 200,000 displaced.

Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Warns of escalation

The GNA government warned of an escalation in the battle for Tripoli after rockets struck near foreign embassies in the capital, which also drew sharp condemnation from the European Union.

The health ministry again raised the alarm that ordinary Libyans are bearing the brunt of an increasingly deadly siege by Haftar militias and mercenaries.

The European Union denounced the assault “in the strongest possible terms,” saying Friday that such indiscriminate strikes “run counter to the respect for human life and international humanitarian law.”

Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj’s office said he spoke with the ambassadors of Italy and Turkey on Friday to ensure they were unscathed by the attack.