News / North Africa

HRW details 'scenes of horror' by Daesh in Libya

Wednesday, 18 May 2016 7:59 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 18 May 2016 8:38 AM ]

The file photo shows Daesh terrorists in the northern Libyan city of Sirte.

Human Rights Watch has released a report, cataloging atrocities carried out by the Takfiri terror group of Daesh against Libyans in a northern town.

The report was compiled based on witness accounts from 45 residents of Sirte conducted in March last year. They were among the two thirds of the city’s 80,000-strong population that fled after Daesh overran the city.

It contained “scenes of horror” described by the witnesses as they recounted Daesh atrocities dating back to February 2015, including the beheadings of dozens of residents accused by the group of espionage.

It also recounted instances of “crucifixions” and floggings of men for acts such as smoking or listening to music.

“While the world’s attention is focused on atrocities in Syria and Iraq, ISIS is also getting away with murder in Libya,” Letta Tayler, a senior terrorism and counter-terrorism researcher at the New York-based rights body (seen below), said.

Libya, where the Western military alliance of NATO helped overthrow longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has been experiencing a power vacuum and is considered by many to have withered into a failed state.

Daesh, which is mainly active in Syria and Iraq, has seized upon the chaos to fan out through Libya.

Libya shares borders with Tunisia, where Daesh terrorists have killed dozens of people since last year, prompting Tunis to start anti-terrorist operations and set up a 200-kilometer (125-mile)-long barrier on the common border with Libya.

The United States and its allies recently said they would send weapons to Libya in support of a newly-formed and UN-brokered government, which is rivaled by another administration.

The announcement raised the specter of further violence in a country, which is already awash with weapons.

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