Two members of the security forces were killed and two others wounded in a drone strike that targeted patrols in Al-Ajilat, western Libya, a serious incident raising new concerns over internal security and the use of armed aerial vehicles against law enforcement.
The Western Region Directorates Support Force announced on Thursday the deaths of two of its personnel and injuries to two others following a drone attack that targeted its patrols in the Al-Ajilat area. According to the official statement, the incident occurred while the forces were responding to a report of a suspicious boat at sea, intended for transporting irregular migrants.
Based on the information provided, local office patrols had gone to the site after a citizen’s alert. They observed that a group of migrants was preparing to board, but fled upon the arrival of law enforcement.
However, two individuals were apprehended. It was while the officers were attempting to tow the boat out of the water that the drone reportedly struck, causing the deaths of two security force members and injuries of varying severity to two others.
The competent Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the official opening of an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the attack and establish criminal responsibility, in accordance with current procedures. Judicial authorities have, at this stage, provided no indication of the drone’s origin or the presumed perpetrators of the attack, leaving high uncertainty about the nature and motivations of the act.
In its statement, the Directorates Support Force expressed its “firm condemnation” of what it termed a “hostile act,” recalling that in recent years, it has rescued thousands of migrants at sea and provided humanitarian and medical assistance under often difficult conditions. The institution believes this attack poses “legitimate questions” about the parties that might be affected by the success of its operations against illegal immigration.
The police, for their part, confirmed the opening of an “urgent and transparent” investigation to identify those responsible and hold them fully accountable for the security consequences of this attack. They also called on national authorities to prioritise the public interest and avoid any decision likely to weaken the state’s security apparatus, while reaffirming their legal right to take necessary measures to protect their personnel and assets.
This incident occurs within a Libyan context marked by the persistent fragmentation of security authority and the proliferation of armed actors and military technologies, including the use of drones, which continues to complicate the country’s long-term stabilization.
MK/ak/lb/as/APA