Nine more unidentified bodies were discovered in mass graves in the Libyan city of Tarhuna, an official said Sunday.
Kamal Al-Siwi, chairman of the Libyan General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons, announced that the number of corpses discovered had risen to 19 since search efforts began on June 5.
Tarhuna, located around 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of the capital Tripoli, was the last stronghold in western Libya controlled by militias loyal to putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar before being recaptured in early June by forces allied with the Tripoli-based government. It served as the main stronghold for Haftar’s illegitimate eastern-based forces in their 14-month campaign to capture the capital Tripoli.
The discoveries of mass graves have raised fears about the extent of human rights violations in territories controlled by Haftar’s forces, given the difficulties of documentation in an active war zone.
Libyan authorities announced earlier this month that international efforts are underway to establish a fact-finding committee to investigate violations by Haftar's militias, including planting landmines and digging mass graves as well as other violations in Tripoli and Tarhuna.
The Libyan Army recently inflicted heavy blows on Haftar and liberated Tripoli and Tarhuna from his militias in addition to other strategic locations, including al-Watiya air base.
The internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 people killed in the violence.
Oil-rich Libya has been torn by violence, drawing in tribal militias, extremists and mercenaries since the 2011 toppling and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in a Western-backed uprising.
The latest escalation has been marked by an uptick in foreign involvement. Recent weeks have seen tensions rise between Turkey and France, which despite public denials has long been suspected of favoring Haftar until his recent setbacks.
The U.N. has urged outside powers to respect a deal reached at a January conference in Berlin, calling for an end to foreign meddling and upholding a much-violated arms embargo.
