Senior Libyan Commander Wanted for War Crimes Killed

A senior Libyan military commander who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes was assassinated. Mahmoud al-Werfalli was shot dead in a moving vehicle in Benghazi on Wednesday by unidentified gunmen, according to reports.

Al-Werfalli was loyal to renegade Libyan National Army military commander Khalifa Haftar. He was a commander of the Al-Saiqa Brigade, an elite unit that defected from Libya’s military during the 2011 uprising that unseated dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The ICC indicted him on two occasions for ordering or personally carrying out eight separate rounds of executions of more than 40 prisoners.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed al-Werfalli.

A government of national unity is running Libya until after national elections scheduled for December.