Hospital damaged as shells continue to hit Tripoli

Cars and buildings at a Tripoli hospital complex were seriously damaged during heavy bombardment by the Libya's eastern-based forces.

Rockets continued to rain down on the country's capital on Tuesday, health authorities in the UN-backed government in Tripoli said.

The barrage of Grad rockets hit Al-Khadra Hospital, where over 300 patients were being treated, including two for the coronavirus and many for shrapnel wounds and burns from bombs.

The assault a day earlier wounded a Bangladeshi medical worker and forced a group of patients to evacuate when missiles hit part of the maternity unit and the power system failed, Tripoli health ministry official Amin al-Hashemi said.

In recent weeks, eastern-based forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter have escalated their year-long siege of the capital, despite appeals for a ceasefire so authorities can focus their resources on the coronavirus pandemic.

Their attack on the Al-Khadra Hospital was the third such strike on a Tripoli medical facility over the past month.