Bombardment of the Libyan capital Tripoli intensified yesterday. Hence, residents stated that the shelling was among the heaviest since the ceasefire was agreed on January 12, as artillery blasts echoed through the city centre and black smoke billowed near Mitiga airport.

U.N. special representative Ghassan Salame said the past 24 hours had seen “a very serious truce violation” and called for all sides to again respect the ceasefire.

The bombing of civilian neighbourhoods of Tripoli “may amount to war crimes”, the United Nations’ Libya mission said in a statement, adding that the three tracks to resolving the crisis are continuing and would not be stopped by either Grad rockets, or misleading statements.

Trying to rescue the Libyan Political Track talks held in Geneva 26-28 February, Ghassan Salame said that one single family in Garabulli lost five of its members in a shell.  And, yesterday, many areas in the capital were also shelled. “It is clear that neither one of the three tracks can move positively while the cannon is doing what it is doing right now.  That is why, once again, we call on the respect of the truce that had been accepted by the two sides on January 12, and we insist that the three tracks will continue despite everything, the political, the economic and the military.” Salame stressed.