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Epoch Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Dozens of Corpses Found in Libyan Hospital After Clashes Between Rival Militias
At least 58 unidentified bodies have been found in a Tripoli hospital after recent clashes between rival militias in western Libya, according to local authorities. Libya's interior ministry said investigations were underway to determine the identities of the bodies, 23 of which have so far been examined. 'All necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said in a statement. The bodies were found on May 19 in a hospital controlled by a local militia whose leader was killed last week in an attack by a rival armed faction. According to the interior ministry, the bodies were found in the Abu Salim Hospital, which is located in Tripoli's densely populated Abu Salim district. Two days earlier, nine other unidentified bodies were found at the Al-Khadra Hospital in the same district, authorities said. Related Stories 4/24/2024 5/17/2025 Until recently, the Abu Salim district was largely controlled by an armed faction known as the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA). On May 12, SSA leader Abdulghani Kikli, popularly known as Ghaniwa, was killed in Tripoli by a rival armed faction known as the 444th Brigade. Simultaneously, SSA units elsewhere in western Libya were attacked and defeated by armed factions aligned with Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, leader of Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU). The following day, fierce clashes erupted in Tripoli between local militias aligned with al-Dbeibah and the self-styled Special Deterrence Force, or 'Rada,' an armed faction opposed to the prime minister. According to the United Nations, at least eight civilians were killed in the fighting. After two days of clashes, Libya's defense ministry said that 'regular forces in coordination with the relevant security authorities' were taking 'the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units.' The neutralization of the SSA appeared to consolidate the power of al-Dbeibah, Libya's internationally recognized prime minister and an ally of Turkey. Like the GNU, the SSA had operated within the framework of a Presidential Council that came to power in 2021 through a political process backed by the U.N. In the same year, scheduled elections failed to take place due to ongoing differences between rival factions, allowing al-Dbeibah to remain in power. Libyan protesters gather in Martyrs' Square to call for the resignation of the national unity government, in Tripoli, Libya, on May 16, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Calls for Prime Minister to Resign On May 16, three GNU ministers abruptly resigned after hundreds of protesters gathered in Tripoli's Martyrs' Square to demand al-Dbeibah's resignation and fresh elections. Demonstrators accused al-Dbeibah of failing to restore calm to the capital and curtail the power and influence of armed factions. On the same day, the U.N.'s Mission in Libya expressed concern about ongoing violence, urging all parties to ensure the safety of Tripoli's civilian population. In a televised address on May 17, al-Dbeibah said the elimination of armed groups operating outside state control was an 'ongoing project.' 'We will not spare anyone who continues to engage in corruption or extortion,' he said. 'Our goal is to create a Libya free of militias and corruption.' In a statement released on May 18, al-Dbeibah's office reiterated that the GNU sought to 'eliminate armed formations outside the police and army institutions.' Libya has remained in a state of relative turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. In 2014, the country was divided between two rival political forces, with the Tripoli-based GNU ruling western Libya—despite internal divisions—and veteran army commander Khalifa Haftar holding sway in the country's east. Reuters contributed to this report.
AsiaOne
20-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says, World News
TRIPOLI — At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday (May 19) in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased. "So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples," the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU). On Tuesday, Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighbourhood. The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said. Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an "ongoing project," as a ceasefire after last week's clashes remained in place. The GNU posted a video on Monday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020. [[nid:714645]]
Malay Mail
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Libyan authorities discover at least 58 unidentified corpses in militia-controlled Tripoli hospital, ministry says
TRIPOLI, May 20 — At least 58 unidentified corpses were found yesterday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU). On Tuesday, Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighbourhood. The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said. Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an 'ongoing project,' as a ceasefire after last week's clashes remained in place. The GNU posted a video yesterday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020. — Reuters
Al Arabiya
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says
At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilization Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU). On Tuesday, al-Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighborhood. The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said. Al-Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an 'ongoing project,' as a ceasefire after last week's clashes remained in place. The GNU posted a video on Monday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020.
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
At least 58 corpses found in Libyan hospital, ministry says
TRIPOLI: At least 58 unidentified corpses were found on Monday in a hospital in Tripoli that was under the control of a militia whose leader was killed last week, the interior ministry said. The corpses were found in a morgue refrigerator in Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in the densely populated Abu Salim neighborhood, following a report from the hospital, the ministry said in a statement. Pictures of corpses with numbers and censored faces were posted by the ministry, showing remains in various states of decomposition on steel carriers and beds. Some of the remains were burnt. An investigation was underway to establish the identities of the deceased. 'So far, 23 corpses have been examined, and all necessary legal procedures have been taken, including documenting data and collecting samples,' the ministry said. Abu Salim was home to a militia known as the Stabilization Support Apparatus, whose chief, Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, was killed in unconfirmed circumstances last Monday. Kikli's killing led to the sudden defeat of the SSA by factions aligned to internationally recognized Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah of the Government of National Unity (GNU). On Tuesday, Dbeibah ordered armed groups to be dismantled, triggering the fiercest clashes Tripoli had seen in years between two armed groups. The clashes killed at least eight civilians, according to the United Nations. The corpses found on Monday are the second set of unidentified remains discovered in recent days. On Saturday, officials said nine corpses had been found in a morgue refrigerator in Al-Khadra hospital, another SSA-controlled hospital in the Abu Salim neighborhood. The militia had not reported the corpses to the relevant authorities, the interior ministry said. Dbeibah said on Saturday that eliminating militias was an 'ongoing project,' as a ceasefire after last week's clashes remained in place. The GNU posted a video on Monday showing bulldozers demolishing the so-called 77 camp, one of the biggest facilities that was under control of SSA. The camp is to be turned into a national park. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi. The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020.
