Libyan Hospital Finds 58 Unidentified Bodies Amid Tripoli Clashes

At least 58 unidentified bodies were found stored in a morgue refrigerator at Abu Salim Accidents Hospital in Tripoli, a facility controlled by the militia Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA), whose leader, Abdulghani Kikli, was killed last week. The corpses were in various states of decomposition, with some burnt, and an investigation is ongoing to establish their identities, including forensic sampling and legal documentation. Kikli's death triggered the defeat of the SSA by factions aligned with Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who has ordered the dismantling of armed groups in Tripoli. The discovery follows recent intense clashes between the SSA and rival militias, resulting in civilian casualties and heightened instability. This incident is part of broader turmoil in Libya, where rival armed factions and divided administrations continue to contest power since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Another nine unidentified corpses were also found recently in a similar SSA-controlled hospital in the same neighborhood, indicating ongoing issues with unreported deaths under militia control.