By Libya Herald staff.
Beida, 21 April 2015:
Horrific details have emerged of the murder yesterday of a well-known local family by Islamist . . .[restrict]militants in Derna.
Eight members of the Harir Al-Mansouri family, including two women, were reported killed after IS accused one of the family of supporting the Libya National Army and demanded that he be surrendered. Another report says that the man was accused of killing a relative of an IS militant last year.
When the family refused to hand the man over, IS forces allegedly started bombarding the house, killing eight of the family in the process. The clashes lasted for 12 hours.
Four men, named as Munaem Al-Harir Al-Mansouri, Khalid Al-Harir Al-Mansouri, Ibrahim Al-Harir Al-Mansouri and Abdulhamid Al-Haj Al-Harir Al-Mansouri were then taken out and publicly “crucified” as a warning to others not to challenge IS’ authority in the town. Photos of three of the dead men have been circulating on the internet.
They were possibly already dead at the time. Islamic “crucifixion” is a punishment used by some fundamentalists against those accused of warring against Islam in which the dead bodies of those executed are left exposed for a number of days as a warning to others. It has been used by Islamists in Syria. It is also used occasionally by the authorities in Saudi Arabia.
The women have been named as Faiza Al-Harir Al-Mansouri and Hanan Al-Harir Al-Mansouri.
While the fighting was taking place, it is also reported that the Libyan Air Force, evidently made aware of the attack, then bombed IS forces, killing a number of them.
The government in Beida has condemned the killings. [/restrict]
