At least six people have lost their lives and several have been injured after the accidental explosion of a mortar shell during exercises at a security camp located in the city of Zawiya, in northwestern Libya, according to the Libyan television channel Al Ahrar.
Medical sources cited by this outlet have indicated that the initial toll of the incident recorded three deceased, but the number of dead has increased to six as hours have passed since the deflagration, recorded within an area designated for training against "security threats."
The bodies of the deceased victims and the injured have been urgently evacuated to the General Hospital of Surman, a nearby locality to Zawiya, to receive medical attention. So far, Libyan authorities have not issued any official statement clarifying the specific causes of the ammunition failure during the exercise.
The incident occurs in a context of growing 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 notable increase in murders in Zawiya and its surroundings. The UN agency warned then that the struggle between these factions for control of territory, influence, and state resources weakens institutions and could trigger a new spiral of violence.