Explosion of ammunition depot in Misrata threatens the city's security amid militia clashes

The city of Misrata in western Libya was subjected to several violent explosions in an ammunition depot belonging to armed groups yesterday evening, resulting in severe damage to residential buildings and road closures, in addition to power and communication outages.

Despite the strength of the explosions, there have been no reports so far of any human casualties.

The incident occurred in the Al-Sukirat area, where the explosion lasted several hours, leading to the destruction of large parts of the surrounding area.

The exact causes of these explosions have not yet been revealed, but reports suggest the possibility of a reaction due to high temperatures or electrical contact, or it could be a result of retaliatory actions between the rival armed militias in Misrata, which include militias loyal to the Government of National Unity and the opposing "Deterrence Force" militia.

Videos that circulated on social media showed horrific scenes of the explosions, with flames and columns of smoke rising into the sky, while the sound of the explosions could be heard throughout the city.

Images also showed missiles and shells scattered randomly across residential neighborhoods, with a "Grad" missile landing on Anbak Road, creating a large crater in the ground.

In a swift response to the incident, the Misrata Security Directorate announced the closure of all roads leading to the fourth ring road in the Al-Sukirat area, and 16 ambulances were deployed to evacuate stranded families, confirming that the situation is under control despite the significant damage.

For their part, the city's residents expressed their strong dissatisfaction with the continued storage of ammunition within residential neighborhoods, at a time when fears of further similar incidents are increasing.

This incident is not the first of its kind in Libya, as the country has witnessed similar incidents in the past, the most notable being the explosion of an ammunition depot in the Brak al-Shati area in the south of the country in 2013, which resulted in the deaths of more than 40 people.

Local authorities continue to investigate the causes of the incident, amid expectations of new details emerging in the coming days.