A child was killed by a stray gunshot, as armed clashes intensified between Libyan militias in the city of Al-Ajailat, west of the country.
The child was taken to the Al-Nawaran Hospital but succumbed to his wounds a few days later. The child’s identity has not been revealed yet.
An official from the hospital administration said in a statement to Libya 24 News that the child was treated in the city of Al-Ajailat, and his condition was very critical.
“The paramedics found him lying in a farm in the Shubaikah area of Al-Ajailat, succumbing to his injuries. The paramedics confirmed that they had no additional details about his identity, or the circumstances of his injury,” the medical source added.
He confirmed that the hospitals in the city of Al-Ajailat had refused to receive the child due to his critical condition, the lack of necessary facilities, and the suspension of surgeries at Al-Zawiya Medical Center.
“Humanly, we could not refuse to receive the child, because every delay poses a threat to his life,” the official concluded.
Last month, a Libyan man and his wife were killed, and their two children were severely wounded in a shooting by unidentified gunmen in the city of Zawiya, western Libya.
The murder reopened the debate on the growing crime rates and the escalation of assassinations in the west of the country.
According to local media, the family was returning home after the Ishaa (Evening) prayer. They were subject to intense shooting from unknown armed men, which led to the immediate death of the husband and wife, while the two children remain in critical condition.
This incident sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with the head of the National Human Rights Commission (NCHRL), Ahmed Hamza describing it as “the heinous crime that led to the killing of a family by armed outlaws in the city of Zawiya.” He called on the Libyan authorities “not to remain silent and take urgent action to bring all criminals to trial as soon as possible.”
Head of the Legal Committee of the Victims Organization for Human Rights, (VOHR) Ahmed Al-Murabit Al-Zaidi confirmed that the killing “is a complete reflection of the unfortunate reality that the country is going through, which no one can hide or obscure.”
Western Libya continues to suffer from the control of militias, as Tripoli witnessed several waves of insecurity and clashes between armed militias.