Haftar attack kills 2 Libyan policemen in Tripoli

TRIPOLI

Two policemen affiliated with the UN-recognized government were killed in an airstrike by eastern Libyan forces in the capital Tripoli, according to the Interior Ministry on Wednesday.

A ministry statement said four other police personnel were injured in the attack that targeted a police headquarters south of Tripoli late Tuesday.

The ministry described the attack as a "criminal act", vowing to bring those responsible to accountability.

Forces aligned with East Libya-based military commander Khalifa Haftar have launched a campaign in April to capture Tripoli from Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).

Clashes between the two sides have left more than 1,000 people dead and around 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The oil-rich country has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.

Libya has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara