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By Sami Zaptia.
London, 26 May 2020:
UNSMIL said yesterday that it was extremely concerned about reports that residents of the Ain Zara and Salahuddin areas of Tripoli have been killed or wounded by booby-traps (Improvised Explosive Devices – IEDs) placed in/near their homes. It said this grotesque transformation and deterioration of the conflict, has occurred while families were seeking the safety and comfort of their homes for the Eid holiday, demonstrates deliberate targeting of innocent civilians.
It strongly condemned these acts, which it said serve no military objective, provoke extreme fear among the population, and violate the rights of innocent civilians who must be protected under international humanitarian law.
UNSMIL’s condemnation comes after a number of civilians, including a young man known to this publication, died from booby-traps after visiting their homes – after the Khalifa Hafter forces retreated from the southern suburbs of Tripoli.
UNSMIL called on all individuals to seek information and heed security advice to stay away from areas that have not been declared safe to enter by a competent authority or items of unknown origin which may be explosive devices. Reporting such information to relevant authorities is essential to helping mitigate the threat, it added.
In its statement, it applauded the search and clearance work being undertaken by Libyan Police and Military Engineers, many of whom were trained by the UN and the international community and reaffirms its continued support to Libyan partners, communities, and stakeholders who are working tirelessly to rid Libya of the threat of explosive remnant of war (ERW).
