By Ajnadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 16 September 2014:
The leader of the Libyan Revolutionaries Operation Room (LROR), Shaaban Hadia Al-Zawi, better . . .[restrict]known as Abu Obeida, has been captured during fighting near Tripoli and two of his commanders killed, Warshefana military sources have claimed.
A deputy commander of Warshefana’s Khaled Al-Abeid Martyrs’ Brigade told the Libya Herald that Zawi was currently receiving treatment in Zahra following his capture. The LROR leader is said to be in a critical condition, having lost one arm in the fighting and sustained a blow to the head.
There have been unconfirmed reports from the LROR denying the capture, with some claiming Zawi left Libya two months ago. Others have said that Zawi was taken prisoner and then summarily executed by the Warfeshana forces.
Two of Zawi’s commanders, Muhamed Luwai Al-Bishti and Salah Wadi were also reportedly killed in the fighting over the past two days. The Warshefana source claimed Bishti had been killed while fighting, with Wadi, who had been from Warshefana but was also a leader within the LROR’s Brigade 27, dying from grave injuries in hospital.
Zawi was implicated in the kidnapping of former Prime Minister Ali Zeidan in October. His own arrest over alleged links to Al-Qaeda by Egyptian officials in January led to the kidnapping of five Egyptian diplomatic staff who were then exchanged for Zawi. Officials later denied they had caved in to pressure from the LROR saying its commander was arrested on false pretences and released in accordance with proper procedure.
Washefana where the LROR has been fighting alongside its Libya Dawn allies has had some of the worst violence in the west of the country visited on it recent weeks.
One man was killed and seven injured last night following rocket attacks which hit the town of Zawia just west of Tripoli. The missiles were reportedly fired from Libyan Dawn positions. Last week hundreds of missiles were reported to have rained down on both the Zawia and Washefana areas.
In response to the continuing violence the House of Representatives has allocated a budget for the region to tackle its humanitarian crisis. The Ministries of Health, Economics and Social Affairs in particular have been asksed to make provisions for displaced people from the area and to make ready whatever food and medical supplies available.
The National Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights called on Saturday for a ceasefire in Warfeshana to allow for relief to reach the civilian population. It said civilians were being targeted without discrimination and that armed groups within the area were committing various human rights violations including torture, kidnap and the destruction of property and homes.
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