Libya is Heading Toward 'long, Bloody War': UN

Tripoli [Libya], May 22 (ANI): Asserting that Libya is heading towards a "long and bloody war", United Nations on Tuesday urged countries to cut off weapons flow in war-torn Libya."The violence on the outskirts of Tripoli is just the start of a long and bloody war on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, imperilling the security of Libya's immediate neighbours and the wider Mediterranean region," Al Jazeera quoted UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, as saying."Libya will descend into a civil war which could potentially lead to a Hobbesian all-against-all state of chaos or partition of the country," he said.Saleme's appeal comes as UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) posted photographs of dozens of Turkish made armoured vehicles.More than 390 people have lost their lives and over 1,900 have been wounded due to the fighting between UN-backed government forces and Khalifa Haftar's army in Tripoli since April 4, according to the World Health Organisation.Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The Libyan National Army-backed parliament controls the east of Libya, while GNA governs Libya's western region from Tripoli.Around 50,000 people have also been displaced, ever since Haftar launched his campaign to take over GNA-controlled Tripoli in early April, as per Xinhua.Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Thursday said during a cabinet meeting that there will be no cease-fire until Khalifa's forces "return to where they came from".As the situation escalated, countries like India, Nepal and the US called back their peace-keeping forces from the region. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has repeatedly called for all Indians to leave Tripoli immediately.Furthermore, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson has urged all Indians in the country to observe "extreme caution," as the situation continues to deteriorate. (ANI)

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