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Russian Mercenaries in Libya Leave Mines as Deadly Calling Cards, Observers
Say

Salem Solomon

   WASHINGTON - International observers are sounding the alarm about an
   alliance between Russian mercenaries and a Libyan militia, which they
   say imperils civilians and risks intensifying Libya's civil war.
   In recent weeks, forces loyal to Libyan General Khalifa Haftar have
   retreated from neighborhoods surrounding Tripoli. In their wake, human
   rights groups and the U.S. military say they left behind Russian-made
   landmines -- many of them planted in residential neighborhoods.
   The U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, and independent analysts accuse
   mercenaries with the Wagner Group, a private Russian company, of being
   behind the mines. Late last month, AFRICOM said in a tweet that Russia
   and the Wagner Group continue to be involved in both ground and air
   operations in Libya and that Russia continues to play an unhelpful role
   in Libya by delivering supplies and equipment to the Wagner Group.

     LIBYA: [1]#Russia & the [2]#Wagner Group continue to be involved in
     both ground & air operations in [3]#Libya
     "Russia continues to play an unhelpful role in Libya by delivering
     supplies & equipment to the Wagner group," said Maj. Gen. Gering.
     More: [4]https://t.co/NewSqn0cMJ [5]pic.twitter.com/E7zEMDQxZi
     -- US AFRICOM (@USAfricaCommand) [6]July 24, 2020

   "They've been involved in kind of booby trapping civilian
   neighborhoods, setting up defense systems in the middle of oil fields
   and oil terminals and really kind of preparing for an enlarged
   conflict, and they are being supported militarily by Russia," said
   Tarek Megerisi, a policy fellow with North Africa and the Middle East
   program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
   Megerisi said the Russians are making little effort to conceal their
   actions. "We see Russian planes regularly traveling from Russia to
   Syria and then from Syria to Libya where they're bringing arms and
   they're also allegedly bringing Syrian mercenaries to join up with the
   Russian groups," he told VOA.

References

   1. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wagner?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Libya?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   4. https://t.co/NewSqn0cMJ
   5. https://t.co/E7zEMDQxZi
   6. https://twitter.com/USAfricaCommand/status/1286639971642875904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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