Acting Mayor of Zliten, Mohamed Al-Akkari, announced that the committee assigned to assess the damage from the explosion at the ammunition depot in Zliten has recorded damage to approximately 30 homes, a refrigerator warehouse, and a health center.
In the same context, the Director of the Media Office in the municipality, Ismail Al-Jousmi, stated that investigations regarding the explosion are still ongoing.
On the morning of July 26, residents of Zliten woke up to the sounds of a series of explosions that lasted several minutes, caused by the explosion of a weapons depot at a military site.
Mustafa Al-Bahbah, a member of the Zliten Municipal Council, told Al-Ahrar that the explosion occurred at 4 AM at the “Al-Ayan” battalion headquarters located among residential neighborhoods. The explosions continued for several minutes without knowing the cause.
The Director of the Emergency and Support Medical Center in Zliten, Walid Al-Qahwaji, stated that the explosion resulted in six injuries, ranging from minor to moderate. They received treatment at the Zliten Medical Center before being discharged to their homes, he said.
On Saturday, the Zliten Municipal Council expressed profound concern over a series of alarming ammunition depot explosions. These incidents have sparked significant concern among local citizens and the municipal council. The latest explosion, which occurred early Friday morning at a depot operated by the “Katyibat Al-Ayan” militia, jolted the city awake with powerful blasts that resulted in towering flames and thick smoke.
In a strongly worded statement, the council said that these recurring incidents pose a severe threat to the safety and security of residents. The council urged security and military authorities to promptly address the issue of ammunition storage following internationally recognized standards to prevent future explosions that could cause extensive damage to infrastructure and endanger civilian lives.
The council also called for an urgent investigation by relevant authorities to uncover the true causes behind these repeated incidents and to implement preventive measures. Emphasizing the importance of transparency, the council insisted that the investigation results be made public and that the local community be informed of the steps being taken to ensure safety.
The roots of these problems lie in Libya’s long-standing and complex instability. Libyan cities have become battlegrounds for violence and armed conflicts, with the storage of weapons and ammunition in residential areas being a significant manifestation of this chaos. This dangerous practice underscores the need for urgent and decisive actions to prevent potential humanitarian disasters.
The seriousness of the authorities in dealing with these risks has been questioned, especially considering Zliten’s history of similar incidents. The last major explosion occurred in November 2023, causing damage to nearby homes and resulting in a resident suffering from smoke inhalation. These repeated incidents highlight the enormous responsibility of the authorities to protect citizens and secure residential areas from the dangers of ammunition storage.
These incidents are not merely coincidental but are the result of inadequate oversight and neglect of international safety standards. Storing weapons in populated areas is a blatant violation of these standards, endangering civilian lives. Therefore, relevant authorities must develop a comprehensive plan to reorganize ammunition storage processes to align with international standards and ensure the protection of residents.
