TRIPOLI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed government said Saturday it launched a massive attack on the rival east-based army in Tarhuna city, killing eight soldiers of the army and capturing more than 100 others.
The government's forces said they launched 17 airstrikes on the east-based army positions in Tarhuna, some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli, seizing a number of military vehicles.
Meanwhile, the government's forces accused the east-based army of attacking civilian areas in Tripoli and injuring 10 civilians, including four children.
On April 4, 2019, the east-based army launched a military campaign in and around Tripoli in an attempt to take over the city and topple the rival UN-backed government.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has documented at least 356 civilian deaths and 329 injuries since the outbreak of the armed conflict.
Nearly 150,000 people in and around Tripoli have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the conflict, and 345,000 civilians remain in frontline areas, while an estimated 749,000 others live in areas affected by the clashes, according to UNSMIL.
