TRIPOLI, May 19 – Libyan authorities said on Monday they had discovered 58 unidentified bodies stored for an extended period inside a morgue at Abu-Saleem Hospital in southern Tripoli, a facility under the control of a powerful armed group.
In a statement published on Facebook, the Interior Ministry said the morgue was controlled by the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), a militia aligned with the Tripoli-based Presidency Council. The ministry said the bodies had been kept “for a long time without notifying the judiciary or relevant police departments.” Forensic sampling and legal procedures are now underway.
The discovery comes amid rising tensions in the capital following days of armed clashes between the SSA and the 444 Brigade, a militia loyal to Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. Fighting erupted last week after an SSA commander was reportedly killed in a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade.
On Sunday, the 444 Brigade reported uncovering a mass grave south of Tripoli containing 10 bodies, which it alleged had been killed by the SSA. The claim could not be independently verified.
Libya has remained fractured and unstable since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Muammar Gaddafi. The country is divided between two rival administrations: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, and an eastern-based government backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by commander Khalifa Haftar.
Armed groups continue to operate with relative impunity across territory held by the GNU, particularly in Tripoli, where rival factions frequently clash over power and resources.
XINHUA
