Gunmen kill Khansaa Al-Mujahid in Al-Sarraj amid a surge of crimes shaking western Libya
Libya – Unknown gunmen on Friday shot dead blogger Khansaa Al-Mujahid, the wife of Moaz Al-Manfoukh , a former member of the Political Dialogue Committee for the city of Zawiya, after targeting her car with a bullet in the Al-Sarraj area, west of Tripoli, before fleeing the scene.
Details of the killing according to witness accounts
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen opened fire on Khansaa’s car, forcing her to stop and get out in a panic in an attempt to flee on foot. They chased her down and shot her, hitting her directly in the head, while no information has yet emerged about the motives behind the crime.
Direct accusations and tension in Zawiya
Because the area where the crime took place falls under the influence of the brother of Interior Minister in the Dbeibah government, Abdullah Al-Tarabulsi, the First Support Force led by Mohamed Bahrun, known as “Al-Far,” and the Al-Sal’a Brigade led by Othman Al-Lahib, held Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah responsible. They gave him a deadline to reveal the circumstances of the incident, stressing that they would not be responsible for whatever might happen after it expires.
Interior Ministry moves after the killing
Shortly afterwards, Public Security forces deployed in the Al-Sarraj area, while Interior Minister Emad Al-Tarabulsi instructed the Criminal Investigation Department and the Security Directorates of Tripoli and Janzour to form a task force to investigate and gather information in order to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
Account from a member of the House of Representatives
For her part, House of Representatives member Rabia Abu Ras wrote in a post on “Facebook,” monitored by Al-Marsad newspaper, that she had been close to the scene at the time of the crime, saying:
“I did not imagine that this congestion was caused by a heinous murder. I thought it was just a traffic policeman taking a brief moment of reflection.”
She added:
“Justice for the victim is a duty, and reviewing the security apparatus is a necessity, because people’s lives are neither a matter of probability nor of mood. Here in western Tripoli we are trapped inside countless security checkpoints, and today’s crime took place within this very cordon that the ministry presents as a showcase of security.”
Rising security tensions
Meanwhile, armed vehicles have been massing in the eastern Mkhall area of Zawiya, awaiting the end of the deadline given to Dbeibah to disclose the details of the killing.
Accumulating crimes shaking the western region
This crime comes amid a bloody wave that has swept western Libya in less than a month: from the discovery of the body of the wife of smuggler Abdullah Al-Dabbashi, known as “Al-Ammo,” buried in his home in Sabratha; to the killing of Dr. Amani Juha at the hands of her brother in collusion with her husband and cousin in Misrata; to the case of the young woman found murdered in Ghot Al-Shaal by a member of the Public Security apparatus, who was later arrested; and now to Khansaa Al-Mujahid — a mother of a four-month-old baby girl — killed in broad daylight in front of passers-by.
The succession of these crimes once again raises a painful question: what remains of security when the lives of citizens become such an easy target?
