Unidentified warplanes carried out air-strikes on a small arms depot and other targets controlled by Islamist militias in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Aug. 18. At least six were killed in the strikes. The strikes were beyond the capacity of the limited Libyan Air Force, and Libyan authorities said the planes had come from a foreign state. The US, France, Italy and Egypt all denied responsibility. Also hit in the raid were camps along the road to Tripoli's airport, which is contested by rival militias. Another target was Tripoli's Mitiga air base, also controlled by Islamists. At least 100 have been killed in fighting in Tripoli over the past month. (NYT [5], Xinhua [6], Aug. 19)
Amnesty International meanwhile decried a video published on social media showing an execution-style killing by an armed group at a football stadium in the eastern city of Derna. The public execution of an Egyptian national was apparently carried out by an armed group called the Shura Council of Islamic Youth. "This unlawful killing realizes the greatest fears of ordinary Libyans, who in parts of the country find themselves caught between ruthless armed groups and a failed state," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. (AI [7], Aug. 22)
