2nd LD Writethru: 47 civilians killed, 54 injured in Libya in May: UN report

TRIPOLI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Violence in Libya killed 47 civilians and injured 54 others in May, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said Friday.

In May, UNSMIL "documented 101 civilian casualties - 47 deaths and 54 injuries - during the conduct of hostilities, including car and suicide bombings, across Libya." said a report by UNSMIL.

"The death toll is the highest recorded by UNSMIL for any month in 2018. Victims included 38 men, three women, four boys and two girls killed and 43 men, three women, six boys and three girls injured," said the report.

Shellings, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, unidentified explosives, airstrikes, and gunfire are the major causes of the civilian casualties, the report noted.

In the report, UNSMIL demanded all parties concerned in Libya "cease the use of mortars and other indirect weapons and imprecise aerial bombardments in civilian-populated areas, and not place fighters or other military objectives in populated areas."

"All executions of captives must cease and all those captured including fighters must be treated humanely in all circumstances. Murdering or torturing captives is also a war crime, regardless of what the captive may be accused of," the report added.

Since the 2011 uprising that toppled the North African country's then top leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been plagued with escalating violence and unrest, as well as political division. Enditem