US blacklists Libya militia

WASHINGTON: The US Treasury announced sanctions Wednesday on a Libyan rebel militia loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar which is allegedly behind multiple murders, kidnapping and torture.

The Treasury said Mohamed al-Kani and the Kaniyat militia “is responsible for the murder of civilians recently discovered in numerous mass graves in Tarhuna.”

Libyan government forces discovered 11 mass graves in June around Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli.

Tarhuna was the main staging point for Haftar’s abortive offensive aimed at seizing the capital from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.