On 26 May, heavy armed clashes in several southern Tripoli neighborhoods between the al-Soumoud armed group and allies including the al-Burki armed group, on one hand, and the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigades (TRB), the Central Security Abu Salim and allies, on the other, led to at least 44 fatalities and over 100 injuries. A 12 year old boy and 2 civilian men were killed, when a tank exploded in the area of Mashrou’ al-Hadba at around 6:30pm on 26 May. Another man sustained fatal injuries in crossfire, while at home in the area of Zuhur (also known as Hay al-Akwakh). At least 4 civilian men and 2 boys were injured in the violence that engulfed Tripoli on 26 May. For instance, a Tawerghan man was shot in the back, while walking in the Fallah-2 IDP camp, in the vicinity of the clashes. UNSMIL has been unable to ascertain the civilian status of the other casualties on 26 May.
Civilian Facilities
On 26 May, the Safaa Hospital in the al-Hadba al-Khadra neighborhood of Tripoli was hit by unspecified projectiles during fighting between armed groups (see above), causing some material damage. Patients were evacuated to the Red Crescent Clinic in central Tripoli.
Attribution
Anti-LNA forces who attacked the Brak al-Shatti airbase on 18 May are believed to be responsible for civilian casualties. Reports indicated that the LNA or their allies carried out the airstrikes that caused civilian casualties in Hun. The al-Burki armed group was reported to have set a tank on fire in the area of Mashrou’ al-Hadba on 26 May, which then exploded and led to civilian casualties. Fighters with the so-called Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL) are responsible for 1 death and 1 injury in Bani Walid. UNSMIL was unable to determine with certainty which parties to the conflict caused the other civilian casualties in May.
Other Casualties
During May, two videos emerged on social media depicting three apparent summary executions in eastern Libya. In one video, a Benghazi commander of the Special Forces is seen shooting dead a man, identified by the perpetrator as an Algerian fighter with the so-called ISIL. The same commander appeared in earlier videos of summary executions (see March 2017 Human Rights Report on Civilian Casualties). In the second video, two men in face masks are seen shooting dead two victims kneeling on the ground. A third man wearing black – who appears to give orders– is also seen in the video. The two victims are believed to have been captured after escaping Block 12 in the Benghazi neighborhood of Ganfouda on 18 March 2017, then under the control of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC) and besieged by the LNA.
