BENGHAZI, Libya: The bodies of 36 people shot dead have been found near Benghazi, in eastern Libya, a security official said Sunday.
The bodies, found in Al-Abyar, around 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Benghazi, were of suspected jihadists including 19 foreigners, the official said.
The United Nations mission in Libya said it “condemns in the strongest terms the heinous crime resulting in the killing of at least 36” people.
It called for an immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Controversial strongman Khalifa Haftar, whose self-proclaimed Libyan National Army controls the region, ordered an enquiry to find their killers, the pro-Haftar LANA news agency reported.
In Tripoli, a national unity government opposed to an eastern administration backed by Haftar called the killings a “heinous crime and a horrible act,” and said it would also launch an investigation.
Fighters in Haftar’s LNA, which has battled jihadist groups since 2014, have in the past been accused of involvement in summary executions of detained jihadists.
LANA said Haftar’s probe would seek to uncover whether those killed were detained at the time.
In August, the International Criminal Court issued called for the arrest of a senior commander in an elite force fighting alongside Haftar’s LNA.
The officer, Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli, is accused of war crimes over at least seven incidents in 2016 and 2017.
Werfalli’s brigade was involved in a three-year battle to rid Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, of jihadists.
ICC judges allege he personally shot or ordered the execution of people who were either civilians or injured fighters.
They say he was behind 33 execution-style killings there.
Haftar’s forces said he was already under arrest and would be tried by a military court.
Libya has been ripped apart by conflicts between multiple militias and two rival governments.
Bodies of 36 ‘jihadists’ found in Libya
Bodies of 36 ‘jihadists’ found in Libya
Ramadan recipes: Roasted seabass in a delicious tomato sauce
DUBAI: Chef Elias of Dubai’s La Maison Ani shares the recipe for a refined Mediterranean dish that highlights simplicity, balance and freshness.
Roasted seabass
2 seabass fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup tomato sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp capers
½ small yellow courgette, thinly sliced
¼ small green courgette, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh chives
Lemon zest
Sumac rice
¾ cup cooked sumac rice
Tomato sauce
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes (fresh or canned)
½ small white onion, finely diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
½ cup water
Sumac rice
1¼ cups basmati rice
1¾ cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1½ tbsp sumac
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp grated garlic
Method
Seabass
Season the seabass fillets with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the fish skin-side down for 3 minutes, flip and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a preheated oven at 180 C and bake for 5 minutes.
Courgettes
Season the sliced courgettes with salt. Sear in a hot pan for 2–3. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Tomato sauce
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Add water and let it reduce. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, until thickened.
Sumac rice
Rinse rice until the water runs clear. Add rice, chicken stock and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Melt butter in a pan, add garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes. Stir in sumac. Fold the butter mixture through the rice gently.
To serve
Spoon warm tomato sauce onto each plate. Place the seabass on top and arrange the courgettes over the fish. Serve with sumac rice on the side.
