- Title: Libyan death toll rises as battle for Tripoli intensifies
- Date: 8th April 2019
- Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (APRIL 8, 2019) (REUTERS) MEN CARRYING COFFIN OF FIGHTER OUT OF CAR, COFFIN DRAPED IN LIBYAN FLAG VARIOUS OF MEN CARRYING COFFIN FATHER OF FIGHTER WAITING, SPEAKING VARIOUS OF COFFIN BEING CARRIED COFFIN LAYING ON GROUND COFFIN LAYING ON GROUND, PEOPLE GATHERED PRAYING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FATHER OF FIGHTER, ASKED NOT TO BE NAMED, SAYING: "Take our revenge on this criminal (Khalifa Haftar) who's killing our children, he is coming to invade Tripoli." FIGHTERS LOADING TRUCKS WITH AMMUNITION, BULLETS LAYING ON GROUND VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS LAYING AMMUNITION INTO TRUCK AMMUNITION SHELLS LAYING IN TRUCK VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS SORTING THROUGH AMMUNITION SHELLS AMMUNITION SHELLS ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FIGHTER, ASKED NOT TO BE NAMED, SAYING: "(Khalifa Haftar) This capital we will protect with our lives. We once protected Misrata against (Muammar) Gaddafi (former Libyan president) but this time, we say, we will give our lives for (Tripoli).'' VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS LOADING WEAPON WITH AMMUNITION SHELLS FIGHTER STANDING HOLDING BULLETS AMMUNITION SHELLS BEING LOADED INTO TRUCK VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS SORTING THROUGH SHELLS FIGHTERS STANDING AMMUNITION SHELLS BEING LOADED INTO TRUCK FIGHTER SPRAYING AMMUNITION SHELLS WITH WATER VARIOUS OF FIGHTER LOADING AMMUNITIONS INTO TRUCK FIGHTER LOADING WEAPON FIGHTER SHOOTING WEAPON FIGHTERS GETTING INTO TRUCKS VARIOUS OF IMAGE OF KHALIFA HAFTAR WITH X RUNNING THROUGH IT ON TRUCK WINDSCREEN VARIOUS OF TRUCKS LEAVING VARIOUS OF TRUCK WITH IMAGE OF HAFTAR WITH X RUNNING THROUGH IT LEAVING TRUCK LEAVING TRUCK LEAVING, FIGHTER GIVES PEACE SIGN VARIOUS OF TRUCKS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 22nd April 2019 15:22
- Keywords: Libya Fighting Funeral Deaths Khalifa Haftar GNA
- Location: TRIPOLI, LIBYA
- City: TRIPOLI, LIBYA
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001A9LM1XJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As battles over Libya's capital raged, family and friends gathered in central Tripoli to bury a fighter on Monday (April 8) who died during clashes between armies from the east and west.
The father of the deceased man, a member of the Libyan pro-internationally recognised government forces, called Khalifa Haftar a ''criminal''.
Deaths and displacements are mounting as Eastern Libyan forces seek to reach the centre of Tripoli after their easy advance through the desert.
The eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) forces of Haftar - a former general in Gaddafi's army - said 19 of its soldiers had died in recent days as they closed in on the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.
A spokesman for the Tripoli-based Health Ministry said fighting in the south of the capital had killed at least 25 people, including fighters and civilians, and wounded 80.
Renewed civil war in Libya, splintered into areas of factional control since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, threatens to disrupt oil and gas supplies, trigger more migration to Europe, and allow Islamist militants to exploit the chaos.
The United Nations said 2,800 people had been displaced by clashes and many more could flee, though some were trapped.
Haftar enjoys the backing of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which see him as a bulwark against Islamists and have supported him militarily, according to U.N. reports.
Forces with the Tripoli government have announced an operation to defend the capital called "Volcano of Anger."
Allied groups from Misrata down the coast have been moving pickup trucks fitted with machine guns into Tripoli.
(Production: Ayman Sahely, Seham Eloraby) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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