On December 2, a large explosion rocked the northern Libyan city of Misrata, which is controlled by the Government for National Accord (GNA).
The explosion took place in Souq al-Ithnin, in the southeastern outskirts of the city. The remains of an unidentified projectile were found at the explosion scene. No casualties were reported as a result of the explosion.
صور من موقع الإنفجار في منطقة ” سوق الإثنين ” بمدينة #مصراتة مع العثور على بقايا صاروخ ولا أنباء أولية عن وقوع خسائر بشرية . pic.twitter.com/1yiD5o8TuR
— الجيش الوطني الليبي 2 (@MohammedAlderse) December 2, 2020
Misrata hosts a joint operations room of forces loyal to the GNA and the Turkish military, which deployed thousands of Syrian mercenaries in Libya over the last year.
Initially, many thought that Misrata was subjected to a strike by the Libyan National Army, which launched a large-scale attack on the GNA last year.
However, Libyan sources said the explosion was caused by war remnants. Some Libyans said on Twitter the explosion was caused by a man who was trying to scrap a Soviet 9K52 Luna-M short-range artillery rocket. As a result, the defunct rocket blew up.
War remnants are a serious threat in today’s Libya. The fierce civil war in 2011 and the looting of military depots back then led to the widespread of ammunition and explosives.
The GNA and Misrata’s local authorities are yet to comment on the incident. Any hostile action is usually announced within a few hours.