At least three people were killed and three others wounded in Libya when a car bomb exploded at a funeral of a former senior military commander in Benghazi.
According to sources, the funeral that was being conducted in Benghazi’s Huwari cemetery was for Khalifa Mismari, the assistant commander of Libya’s special forces under former leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled in 2011.
Libya has been beset by violence since Gaddafi’s ouster and killing, which left a void that various militant groups and human trafficking cells sought to fill.
Thousands have been killed in wars between various militant factions, with millions forced to flee their homes.
The North African country has experienced heightened violence since April, as forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, holding eastern Libya, attempt to take over the capital, Tripoli, from forces allied to UN-recognized Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarra.
The latest spate of clashes fighting has left over 5,000 people wounded, with fears of more casualties if a ceasefire is not implemented.
Not only is the North African country dogged by violence, but also a migrant crisis as thousands of people seeking to reach Europe illegally prefer to depart from its shores.
The migrant situation prompted the setting up of holding centers where migrants intercepted while making the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing are held.
According to the U.N. some 5,700 refugees and migrants are being held in detention centres across Libya, 3,300 of whom are vulnerable to fighting in and around Tripoli.
The agency and international players are routing for talks involving the Libyan factions in order to create a unity government, which would ultimately lead to an election.
