By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 10 May 2015:
A student at Zawia university who father is a prominent local opponent of Libya Dawn . . .[restrict]is reported to have been gunned down in front of fellow students today.
Malik Ibrahim Zagruba is said to have died instantly when an armed group who had entered the Faculty of Arts building shot at him. He was shot in the head. The gunmen then fled the scene.
Zagruba’s killing is thought to be political and, as such, the first in the town which is firmly allied to Libya Dawn. His father Ibrahim Zagruba is at Wattiya airbase and a vocal critic of Dawn.
From Zawia, the family actively supported the revolution in 2011, particularly Ibrahim. As a result Malik and his brother were arrested in March 2011 by the regime and taken to Abu Sleem prison. They were released only when their father surrendered to the Qaddafi authorities. He was freed in August 2011.
There is growing nervousness in Zawia over the military situation in the area following the Misrata pullout as the Libyan National Army, mainly Warshefana support forces, move closer to it. Zawia fears that if the Warshefana were to enter the town, they will take revenge for the attacks carried out by mainly Zawian forces in the Warshefana area last summer when scores of people were killed and hundreds of families fled. There are, however, unconfirmed reports that an unnamed brigade is moving into the area to act as a buffer between Zawia and the Warshefana. It is not clear if it has yet done so.
Ten days ago, Misratan sources told the Libya Herald that a a buffer force would be put in place following the decision to pull Misratan brigades out of the area. [/restrict]