Tripoli fighting: Residential areas of Libyan capital turning into ‘battlefields,’ Red Cross says

Intensified fighting for control of the Libyan capital is turning residential areas of Tripoli into “battlefields,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Thursday. “The humanitarian situation in and around Tripoli has deteriorated sharply over the past three weeks,” since military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on April 4 against forces loyal to the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), according to the ICRC. “More than 30,000 people are said to have fled their homes and are sheltering with relatives or in public buildings,” it said. Libyan authorities and the UN say the figure has risen to almost 35,000, AFP reported. Forces loyal to the GNA, which is based in Tripoli, launched a counter-attack last weekend.