Three soldiers were killed on Sunday in continuing clashes in Bengahzi’s Leithi and Sabri districts, a source at Jalaa Hopsital told the Libya Herald. Another 13 had been injured. The current Libyan National Army (LNA) operation, codenamed Lion Fist, to try and smash Ansar Al-Sharia and other Islamist forces in the Benghazi Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council (BRSC) in Leithi as well as central and south Benghazi, has taken a heavy toll in soldiers lost or wounded over the past week. The latest casualties bring the number of dead for the week to at least 17 with another 97 wounded
One man was killed and two others wounded in two incidents in Sabha on Sunday. In the first incident a gunman shot and killed a man and wounded another in a drive-by shooting in the south of the town. In a separate incident, a policeman was shot as he drove past an unofficial checkpoint set up by an armed group near the entrance to Sebha Airport. According to the head of investigation at Gardah police station the vehicle caught fire in the attack but the policeman managed to put it out. He sustained moderate injuries and was treated at Sebha Medical Centre.
The Libyan coastguard intercepted another people-smuggling vessel off the coast of Libya and brought 600 migrants ashore in Tripoli. This raises to at least 1,000 the number of illegals seized in the last six days. The Libya Dawn is seeking to demonstrate that it is cracking down on human traffickers who are charging up to $2,000 a head for the dangerous Mediterranean voyage toward Europe.
It is seeking EU financial and logistical support, and therefore de facto recognition from Brussels, to combat the trade. The problem is that the migrant smugglers are now dominated by the selfsame militias that have sustained the Libya Dawn operation. According to AFP, there are now some 7,000 illegal migrants, the majority from sub-Saharan Africa held in 16 detention centres, all of which would be within Libya Dawn-held territory.
Before considering travel to Libya, an itinerary specific pre-travel risk assessment including mitigation measures are recommended. In-country personnel should be confident in their evacuation procedures and crisis management plans and in light of the current situation these should be checked and updated where necessary with the appropriate level of support in country to activate the plans when required.
To discuss further how SNE can support your projects in Libya or Egypt please contact us by email at specialprojects@snegroup.co.uk or call our Dubai office on +971 44561542 / +971 503786803 or visit our website www.snespecialprojects.co.uk
