An RPG shell was discovered in a dump site in the Al-Sayeh district, south of Tripoli, on August 11, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by explosive remnants of war in the Libyan capital.
The presence of unexploded munitions in Libya’s urban areas is not new. The Department of Investigations received a report early in the day, prompting the rapid deployment of a specialised team from the Security Inspection and Demining Office. After inspecting the site, the shell was secured and transferred to the relevant units for destruction in line with established technical protocols.
Since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, tens of thousands of explosive devices, shells, mines, and remnants of heavy weaponry have littered the country, the result of multiple armed fronts and repeated clashes between factions. Outlying districts, often used as bases or transit points by armed groups, are among the worst affected.
Local authorities warn that such devices pose an immediate danger to civilians, particularly children, who may mistake them for toys. International NGOs, including the HALO Trust and Handicap International, are engaged in explosive clearance operations, but funding shortfalls limit their ability to cover the entire country.
Security experts say the incident underscores the urgency of strengthening coordination between municipalities, security forces, and demining agencies, as well as the need for a national registry of recovered munitions.
“Until security is restored and frontlines are stabilized, Libya will remain a vast field of dormant explosives,” a military analyst warned.
MK/sf/lb/as/APA