Civilians killed as park hit by shelling in Libyan capital

A grassy area used as a park in the Libyan capital Tripoli was hit by shelling on Sunday that left at least three people dead and several others wounded, medics said. The incident highlighted a continuing risk to civilians despite a relative lull in fighting around Tripoli since eastern-based forces staged partial withdrawals earlier this month.

The U.N. mission to Libya has condemned "indiscriminate attacks" on civilian areas of Tripoli which it says are mostly attributable to forces affiliated with eastern commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA). The LNA has been waging an offensive on Tripoli since April 2019, though it has recently suffered setbacks amid the latest escalation of foreign involvement in the conflict.

Sunday's shelling hit on the edge of the Hay al-Andalus neighborhood, west of central Tripoli. Malek Marsit, spokesman for the Medical Field and Support Centre, said at least three people died and 12 were wounded when the shelling hit an expanse of grass that residents often use to relax.

Osama Ali, a spokesman for local ambulance services, said five people had been killed there and at another nearby location.

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