...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
, where heavy fighting and blocked roads have left civilians trapped in their homes, officials said on Monday.
Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter’s self-styled Libyan National Army launched an operation to retake the capital on April 4 and has been locked in heavy fighting in and around the city with militias loosely allied with a UN-supported government. The festivities have killed more than 270 people, including 21 civilians, according to the latest UN figures released last week.
Libyan officials said LNA air strikes have targeted the Nawasi Brigade in the Abu Salim district, about 7 kilometres from Tripoli’s centre. At least four non-combatants were killed, they said.
They said air strikes hit Al Qaqaa military camp in the town of al-Falah, south of Tripoli. The camp is controlled by powerful militias from the western town of Misrata that are also allied with the Tripoli government. Air strikes and shelling also hit the towns of Khallet al-Forjan, Ain Zara and al-Twaisha, south of the capital, and heavy fighting was underway in Salah al-Deen, an area that saw earlier festivities between rival militias in September.Residents said fighting has been ongoing overnight in residential areas a few kilometers south of Tripoli. Both sides have used heavy artillery and
s, they said."We cannot move because of the shelling from both sides. Our homes have been damaged. We are trying to leave the area to a safer place," said Mohammed al-Trapoulsi, a 41-year-old father of three from Abu Salim.
On Sunday, LNA front man Ahmed al-Mosmari told a news conference in the eastern city of Benghazi that their warplanes targeted the Yarmuk military camp in Ain Zara. The two sides have traded control the strategic camp since the offensive began.