Libyan House of Representatives Urges End to Widespread Arms Chaos

A session of the Libyan House of Representatives (Libyan House of Representatives)
A session of the Libyan House of Representatives (Libyan House of Representatives)
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Libyan House of Representatives Urges End to Widespread Arms Chaos

A session of the Libyan House of Representatives (Libyan House of Representatives)
A session of the Libyan House of Representatives (Libyan House of Representatives)

The Libyan House of Representatives is urging an end to the widespread presence of weapons across the country following recent clashes in Al-Jumail city, near Tripoli. They’ve called for the immediate removal of all armed groups from the city, except for the regular police and army.

The situation worsened after clashes between armed groups from outside Al-Jumail, leaving at least one dead and nine injured.

The House emphasized the need to stop unauthorized armed presence in all Libyan cities, condemning attacks on citizens and state institutions in Al-Jumail.

In the meantime, Libya’s Government of National Unity reported that its leader, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, held separate meetings with the ambassadors of Iran and South Korea to Libya.

They discussed cooperation opportunities with their respective countries.

According to Dbeibeh’s office on Thursday evening, the Iranian ambassador expressed Iran’s interest in hosting the 13th session of the Iran-Libya Joint High Committee in Tehran.

They also talked about organizing an exhibition and economic forum for Iranian industries in Libya, as well as cooperation in nuclear medicine and other medical fields.

Dbeibeh expressed willingness to work together with Iran in various areas and to organize the joint committee meeting between the two countries.

As for his meeting in Tripoli with South Korea’s Ambassador, his assistant, and the economic advisor, Dbeibeh discussed the comeback of Korean companies to finish ongoing projects and start new ones across Libya’s cities and regions.

Dbeibeh and the South Korean officials praised Hyundai’s return to Libya, restarting work on a power station project near Tripoli after a 10-year pause. This move was seen as a positive sign of big companies returning to Libya, aiding its development needs.

Dbeibeh emphasized the need to tackle challenges facing Korean companies in all sectors and suggested organizing an economic and industrial forum for them in Libya to foster partnerships between both countries’ private sectors.



Remains of 30 People Believed Killed by ISIS Found in Syria in a Search by Qatar and FBI 

 Journalist James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Boston, May 27, 2011. (AP)
Journalist James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Boston, May 27, 2011. (AP)
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Remains of 30 People Believed Killed by ISIS Found in Syria in a Search by Qatar and FBI 

 Journalist James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Boston, May 27, 2011. (AP)
Journalist James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Boston, May 27, 2011. (AP)

The remains of 30 people believed to have been killed by the ISIS group have been found in a remote Syrian town in a search led by Qatari search teams and the FBI, according to a statement from Qatar on Monday.

The Qatari internal security forces said the FBI had requested the search, and that DNA tests are currently underway to determine the identities of the people. The Qatari agency did not whom the American intelligence and security agency is trying to find.

Dozens of foreigners, including aid workers and journalists, were killed by ISIS militants who had controlled large swaths of Syria and Iraq for half a decade. The extremist group lost most of its territory in late 2017 and was declared defeated in 2019.

Since then, dozens of gravesites and mass graves have been discovered in northern Syria containing remains and bodies of people ISIS had abducted over the years.

American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as humanitarian workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig are among those killed by ISIS.

John Cantlie, a British correspondent, was abducted alongside Foley in 2012, and was last seen alive in one of the extremist group's propaganda videos in 2016.

The search took place in the town of Dabiq, near Syria's northern border with Türkiye.

Mass graves have also found in areas previously controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who was ousted in a lightning insurgency last December, ending his family's half-century rule. For years, the Assads used their notorious security and intelligence agencies to crack down on dissidents, many who have gone missing.

The United Nations in 2021 estimated that over 130,000 Syrians were taken away and disappeared during the peaceful uprising that began in 2011 and descended into a 13-year civil war.