Over 600 killed in Tripoli warfare, says UN

Tripoli, June 3 (IANS/AKI) At least 607 people have been killed and at least 3,261 have been injured since deadly fighting between rival militias erupted in the Libyan capital two months ago, the United Nations said on Monday.

"The toll of the Tripoli crisis is now 607 dead, including 40 civilians, and 3261 wounded, including 117 civilians," the UN's World Health Organization in Libya tweeted.

The warfare in Tripoli broke out on April 5 when eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar's so-called Libyan People's Army began an assault on the capital and met with resistance from forces loyal to the internationally recognised government. No side appears to be winning the battle.

The fighting has forced at least 75,000 out of their homes, trapped thousands of migrants in detention centres, and razed some southern suburbs to the ground. It has also forced closures of schools, split up families and caused power cuts.

The former Italian colony has been gripped by anarchy since the Nato-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Rival administrations in Tripoli and in the east are supported by a myriad of armed groups who are vying for control of the oil-rich country.

--IANS/AKI

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