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Wagner base in eastern Libya hit by ‘unknown’ drone strike

The strike comes as Russia steps up its campaign against the Wagner group in the countries where it is active following last week’s failed mutiny against President Vladimir Putin.
Members of the Wagner group sit atop a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023.

A base housing units of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner group in eastern Libya was the target of a drone strike overnight on Friday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a military official told AFP that the attack on Al-Kharruba air base, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Benghazi, left no casualties. He added that the origin of the strike was “unknown.”

Another source from the Libyan Ministry of Defense told the Arabic news site Arabi21 that the drone used in the attack was Turkey's state-of-the-art unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), Akinci, which the Tripoli-based government previously bought from Ankara.

The Tripoli-based government has denied its involvement in the strike.

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