Two more mass graves have been discovered in the city of Tarhuna, liberated from putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces, Libyan authorities said Wednesday.
According to a statement by the government’s institution to search and determine missing individuals, two more mass graves were discovered in a rural area and work is proceeding to determine more graves.
The authorities did not state how many bodies were found in the graves.
According to Libyan official sources, Haftar's forces and affiliated militias committed war crimes and acts of genocide in the period between April 2019 and June 2020.
So far, over 140 bodies have been exhumed in a slow process that began in June 2020 after the town was captured from eastern-based forces loyal to warlord Haftar. The Kaniyat had first supported the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, which was mainly backed by Turkey and Qatar.
But when Haftar's forces used Tarhuna as a launchpad for an offensive against the capital in April 2019, the Kaniyat switched loyalties. They chose the losing side.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says at least 338 people were abducted or reported missing during the five-year rule of the Kaniyat. "Residents reported that the militia often abducted, detained, tortured, killed and (caused the) disappearance of people who opposed them or who were suspected of doing so," the HRW said.
