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| Africa North | ||
| Unknown aircraft carry out deadly raids in Derna | ||
| 2016-02-08 | ||
| Four local people were killed this morning in three air raids on Derna. Homes as well as the local hospital were hit. The dead included a 10-year old boy and his mother, aged 39. Also killed were young men, said to be members of Derna Shoura Council, fighting Islamic State (IS) forces in the area. The Libyan air force at Benina airbase in Benghazi has denied carrying out the operation and any knowledge as to who did it, leading to suggestions that foreign aircraft were responsible. More than one aircraft was said to be responsible for the raids which took place at dawn this morning,
A number of vehicles were also reported destroyed. That Kurfat Sebaa was bombed suggests that forces opposed to IS were responsible for the attacks, but it is equally clear from the fact that civilian areas were hit that whoever was involved did not know Derna. The civilian deaths are likely to reinforce public opposition to any foreign air raids in Libya, even against IS forces. There is growing belief that, however well prepared they are, there is bound to be collateral civilian damage. This, for Libyans, is unacceptable.
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| Posted by:Steve White |