Top Libyan military commander wanted by ICC shot dead

A senior Libyan military commander Mahmoud al-Werfalli and his cousin were shot dead Wednesday, a security source said.

He and his cousin were in his car in the eastern city of Benghazi, a security source said.

Al-Werfalli and his cousin, whose name was not given, sustained grave injuries after the shot and died on arrival at the Benghazi Medical Center, located near the scene of the shooting.

Al-Werfalli had two arrest warrants pending before the International Criminal Court.

He was accused by the International Criminal Court of "war crimes, torture, cruel treatment, crimes against humanity and other inhumane crimes.

The 43-year-old soldier was accused of, among other things, "directly committing and ordering" killings" in seven incidents, involving 33 people from June 2016 to July 2017 in the Benghazi area, according to the ICC.

Known for his summary executions of political prisoners, al-Werfalli also allegedly "shot and killed 10 people in front of the Bi'at al-Radwan mosque in Benghazi" in January 2018, the same source added.

The late officer was a member of the forces loyal to eastern commander, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA).

This did not prevent him from being promoted by Khalifa Haftar to a lieutenant colonel in July 2019, after serving as a major. "This promotion sends a clear message that Khalifa Haftar has no intention" of prosecuting him, the former ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda lamented at the time.

Al-Werfalli recently appeared in a video violently attacking the owner of a car dealership in Benghazi, sparking a heated debate in Libya.