The number of deceased from the accidental explosion of a mortar shell during maneuvers at a military camp located in the Libyan city of Zauiya, in the northwest of the country, has risen to nine, according to emergency services, which have not yet been able to clarify the exact origin of the incident.
The Emergency Service of Zauiya specified that the nine fatalities belong to the Threats Against Security Unit and confirmed that the detonation was caused by an 82-millimeter mortar shell, according to information released by the Libyan state news agency, LANA.
This incident occurs in a context of increasing instability in the area, after the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed in May its "deep concern" over the "continued mobilization of armed groups" and the "alarming rise in murders" in Zauiya and nearby towns.
The UN mission warned at that time that the struggle between these factions for territorial dominance, political influence, and access to state resources is weakening institutions and could trigger a new escalation of violence.
Libya has been suffering for years from a situation of dual power, originating after the overthrow and execution of Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011 in the context of the civil war and worsened after the postponement of the 2021 elections, with two rival administrations based in the east and west of the country, while attempts at political reunification have not yet succeeded in unifying the state structure.