Mortar blast kills nine anti-threat security personnel near Tripoli
An 82mm mortar round exploded during a training drill in Zawiya, killing at least nine members of the Anti-Threat Security Agency and wounding several others.
A mortar blast hit a training session in Zawiya, about 40 km west of Tripoli, killing at least nine members of the Anti-Threat Security Agency, a force linked to the UN-recognized Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. The round, identified as an 82mm mortar, also injured several other participants, according to medical sources, though exact figures were not released. The incident unfolded in a city that hosts Libya's biggest operating oil refinery and has a history of confrontations between competing militias.
Authorities have not yet issued a statement on the attack. The event underscores the ongoing instability in Libya since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, with the country remaining split between western and eastern rival administrations.
Why it matters
The attack highlights Libya's persistent security challenges and the risk to forces trying to stabilize the western region.
In this story
Related stories
2 in this thread