According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), at least 130 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by landmines and other explosives left behind during fierce fighting in the Libyan capital in 2020.
During fierce fighting in 2019-2020, when the powerful eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar attempted to conquer the city, the explosives, which included banned antipersonnel landmines and booby-trapped explosives, were spread around the suburbs of Tripoli.
While Haftar withdrew from Tripoli in June 2020, with Libya's rival camps signing a ceasefire later that year, the dangerous legacy remains.
"Forces allied with Khalifa Haftar laid landmines and improvised explosive devices that have killed and maimed several hundred civilians including children, and hinder southern Tripoli residents from returning home," stated HRW's Libya director Hanan Salah.