By Ashraf Abdul-Wahab.
Tripoli, 6 April, 2013:
The air force attacked a convoy of fuel smugglers operating near Ghadames on the border with . . .[restrict]Tunisia and Algeria. Thirteen of the smugglers are said to have been killed in the incident which happened yesterday afternoon, Friday.
According to reports, a fighter plane on border reconnaissance patrol spotted a convoy of six fuel trucks some eight kilometres from the border. Warning shots were fired but the vehicles refused to stop. Instead they sped up, travelling over rought terrain to reach the border. They were then attacked and destroyed, with flames reportedly “shooting hundreds of metres into the sky”, and a thick black pall of smoke seen for kilometres around.
Two of the dead are said to be Libyans, the other 11 citizens of unnamed neighbouring countries. Their identities are unknown.
The government ordered the air force to target smugglers in January. Last month, a number of pilots were reported to have expressed disquiet at the policy, saying they wanted guidance from the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Sadeq Al-Ghariani. However, his office has said that it has not received any request on the matter.
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