From 1 July to 31 July 2016, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) documented 41 civilian casualties, including 12 deaths and 29 injuries, during the conduct of hostilities across Libya.
Victims included 4 children killed and 4 injured, 8 men killed and 16 injured and 8 women injured.
Civilian Casualties
The majority of civilian deaths were caused by gunshots (5 deaths and 2 injured), while the next leading cause of death was vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (3 deaths and 4 injured) and explosive remnants of war (3 deaths), then air strikes (1 deaths and 9 injured) and then shelling (14 injured).
UNSMIL documented 5 deaths and 18 injured in Benghazi, 4 deaths and 11 injured in Derna and 3 deaths in Kufra.
The Libyan National Army/Libyan Air Force carried out the airstrikes in Derna, which led to the death and injury of civilians (1 killed, 9 injured), while the Derna Mujahedin Shura Council was responsible for the death of 3 civilians.
Information received indicated that armed groups aligned to Operation Dignity were responsible for the death of 2 civilians in Benghazi. UNSMIL was unable to determine with certainty which other parties caused civilian casualties in July.
Other Casualties
On 21 July, the bodies of 14 people were found in a rubbish dump in al-Leithi, Benghazi. Information received by UNSMIL indicated that the bodies had signs of torture and gunshot wounds to the head. It further indicated that an unidentified armed group abducted some of the victims in Benghazi earlier in the month. The military prosecutor in Benghazi is reportedly carrying out an investigation.
