Incident Code

Lib2011-047

Location

كلية الهندسة العسكرية, College of Military Engineering, Tarabulus, Libya

Geolocation

32.867559, 13.412167
Accuracy: Nearby landmark

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: LN004)

Several civilians were reportedly killed in a NATO airstrike on Tajoura, east of Tripoli.

BBC Arabic said at the time: “Libyan officials early on Thursday took a group of journalists to a hospital in Tripoli to see what they said were 18 charred corpses of soldiers and civilians killed in coalition raids overnight. Western planes bombed a military base and areas east of the capital Tripoli for the fifth consecutive day of military operations. The Libyan news agency said earlier that the coalition aircraft targeted a residential neighborhood east of Tripoli, which caused ‘a large number of civilian deaths.'”

Arabic people reported: “A large number of Libyan and wounded civilians and paramedics targeted by Western coalition raids were seen in a residential neighbourhood of Tajoura district in the eastern suburb of Tripoli on Friday morning.

The bodies, which arrived at Tripoli Central Hospital, appeared charred; Some of the other bodies, which were torn apart as a result of the western raids, arrived, according to the official news agency (Auj).”

Arabic People added that the incident took place near the College for Military Engineering.

RT Arabic tweeted: “Libyan television: Civilians killed in raids by international forces on Libya.” In a video piece it also showed various bodies of alleged victims.

An article in The Telegraph later seemed to contest civilian casualties near Tajoura, likely referring to this incident: “Officials have been unable to identify areas where large numbers of civilians died, and admitted that the figure of 100 deaths included cadets at military academies, at least one of which on a base in Tajoura was said to have been struck.”

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Civilians reported killed
8–16
2 Children

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention multiple strikes within the vicinity of the College of Military Engineering (كلية الهندسة العسكرية) located in the neighbourhood of Tajoura (تاجوراء). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the College of Military Engineering are: 32.867559, 13.412167.

Military Statements

NATO forces Assessment
Suspected belligerent
NATO forces
NATO forces position on incident
Not yet assessed

Media From Sources (2)