TRIPOLI, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and eight others injured on Sunday evening when a mortar shell exploded in the Al-Harsha area of Zawiya, about 60 km west of the Libyan capital Tripoli, local media reported.
The explosion occurred at a camp affiliated with the Security Threats Combatting Agency, according to local reports. Al-Ahrar TV cited a medical source as saying that the injured and the bodies of the victims were taken to Sorman General Hospital.
Media sources also said that the death toll could rise, while hospitals in the city have appealed to residents to donate blood amid an ongoing shortage.
The Security Threats Combatting Agency is affiliated with Mohammed Bahrun, widely known as "Al-Far," and operates under the Interior Ministry of Libya's Government of National Unity.
No official statement has been issued explaining the circumstances of the incident. ■