TRIPOLI, Nov. 14 — Libya’s western city of Zawiya, 60 km west of the capital Tripoli, has come under consecutive shellings in recent nights, according to a statement by the Security Threats Control Agency in the city late Thursday.
The attack targeted several patrol boats of the agency, which were tasked with combating maritime infiltration, smuggling, and human trafficking, as well as conducting search-and-rescue operations for irregular migrants.
In the statement, the agency condemned the attack, noting that the shelling constitutes a dangerous and unjustified precedent and has direct implications for Libya’s national security.
It called for an urgent and transparent investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident and hold the perpetrators fully accountable for the damages and security repercussions.
The statement neither revealed the casualties nor directly identified the party responsible for the attack. The incident comes after a series of strikes targeting boats and sites in the ports of Zuwara and Zawiya in recent days.
The internationally recognized government in Tripoli had stated in previous announcements that it launched a military operation involving airstrikes targeting boats and locations used for smuggling, illegal migration and human trafficking in ports and cities west of Tripoli. (Xinhua)
