Libyan prosecutors issue arrest warrant for Haftar

Tripoli, April 18 (IANS/AKI) Military prosecutors in Tripoli have issued an arrest warrant for eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar and six of his aides, the Defence Ministry of Libya's internationally recognised government said in a statement on Thursday.

A day earlier, Libya's Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj called on the International Criminal Court to investigate "crimes and violations committed by the forces of warlord Khalifa Haftar and bring them to justice," the Libya Observer reported.

In a letter addressed to the court's prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, Sarraj said his government would provide the ICC with the documents and evidence needed to corroborate Haftar's alleged war crimes.

The United Nations says over 200 people including dozens of civilians have been killed in fighting during the past two weeks between Haftar's militia and forces aligned to the UN-backed government which began when Haftar ordered the assault on Tripoli.

Haftar is aligned with a rival government based in the country's east and has support from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.

--IANS/AKI

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