Imported camels evacuated from Libya's capital after port comes under fire

Three thousand camels have been walked out of Libya's capital Tripoli in an overnight evacuation after the port where they arrived came under artillery fire.

The camels left Tripoli's port shortly after midnight on Wednesday and were herded along a highway leading west to the city of Zawiya, some 45 km away, where they arrived on Thursday morning, according to a local merchant.

However, he said that a local armed group had stolen 125 of the camels as they passed through the Tripoli suburb of Janzour. Camels are often imported to Libya from Sudan along with goats, and camel meat is widely eaten.

Tripoli's port, which is close to the city centre, was shelled on Tuesday by forces loyal to east Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar, who has been waging an offensive to take Tripoli for more than 10 months. The camels would normally have been driven to Zawiya in trucks, but none were available, so the owner decided to make them walk for fear that the port would come under renewed fire.

As the camels were being herded along the road, some onlookers made fun of the government, saying it was bringing in camels as a substitute form of transport because of the lack of petrol.

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