Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

LC115a

Incident date

April 14, 2019

Location

عين زارة, Ain Zara, Tarabulus, Libya

Geolocation

32.820349, 13.266284 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One man with uncler combatant status was allegedly killed by indiscriminate LNA shelling on Ain Zara.

Fathi M. El Krewi said: “He had an appointment with the death when the third shell struck and was on a solid ground, which is the paved road … As if someone was following these shells and giving their coordinates in order to fall on the hard ground and hit as many people as possible, including Brigadier General Msaddek.”

Tanasuh reported that he was a retired Brigadier General who “went out to defend the city” due to the incoming LNA attack.

His family later filed a lawsuit against LNA leader Khalifa Haftar claiming: “33. On April 4, 2019 [sic], Msaddek Tunalli was evacuating women and children from an area
being indiscriminately bombed by Haftar’s forces in the in the Ayan Zarah District.
34. Haftar’s forces were randomly shelling the entire area.
35. At approximately 4:45pm, one of the mortars fell on Msaddek Tunalli, killing him.
36. The medical examiner stated that Msaddek Tunalli’s death is a result of multiple
infliction wounds to the head, shoulders, stomach, and arms, which resulted in severe
skull damage and sever damage to the brain and internal bleeding in the brain. The
weapons used were multiple artillery rounds and mortar shells. The heart, lungs and
stomach were severely punctured with internal bleeding as well, which resulted in
loss of oxygen to the brain and suffocation. The right elbow was fractured. The angle
of penetration was from the back, from the right side of the brain and from the back
side of the arms, while the angle of exit was from the stomach area.
37. The medical examiner stated that Msaddek Tunalli’s body was free of alcohol or any
other poisonous substances.
38. The medical examiner found two shrapnel fragments in the front side of Msaddek
Tunalli’s lungs and has preserved them.
39. The indiscriminate shelling was not necessary on behalf of Haftar.
40. The indiscriminate shelling was the direct cause of Msaddek Tunalli’s death.

41. Msaddek Tunalli was a husband to Plaintiff Aida Elzagally and a father to six
children: Plaintiffs Ayah Tunalli, Alaa Tunalli, Abdulhameed Tunalli, Adbulrrauf
Tunalli, Muhammad Tunalli, and Adbuladeem Tunalli.
42. The Plaintiffs named above are not left without a husband and father and the only
financial support.
43. Plaintiffs Ayah Tunalli, Alaa Tunalli, Abdulhameed Tunalli, Adbulrrauf Tunalli,
Muhammad Tunalli, and Adbuladeem Tunalli are severely traumatized by the loss of
their father.
44. Due to the loss of her father, Ayah Tunalli is psychologically unstable and having
nightmares.”

Additionally Riyadh Burshan, Al Jazeera and Ein Libya reported that civilian infrastructure was targeted in the area as a book store of the Ministry of Education was hit and “5 million textbooks burned by the fires of war in Libya”.

The incident occured at 16:45:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Adult male killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention Ain Zara (عين زارة), for which the generic coordinates are: 32.816556 13.267525. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • TV report on the incident
  • Book store allegedly targeted by LNA shelling on April 14th, 2019 (via Riyadh Burshan)
  • Book store allegedly targeted by LNA shelling on April 14th, 2019 (via Riyadh Burshan)
  • Book store allegedly targeted by LNA shelling on April 14th, 2019 (via Riyadh Burshan)
  • Book store allegedly targeted by LNA shelling on April 14th, 2019 (via Riyadh Burshan)
  • Msaddek Tunalli, allegedly killed by LNA shelling on April 14th, 2019 (via Bl5a.bl5a)
  • Msaddek Tunalli, allegedly killed by LNA shelling on April 14th, 2019 (via Aiyda Al Tounali)

Libyan National Army Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Libyan National Army position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Libyan National Army
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (10) [ collapse]