'Isis' fighters blindfolded and shot dead by Libyan forces in mass execution video

UN says it is 'deeply concerned' by what appear to be summary executions carried out by General Haftar's forces in eastern Libya

Members of the self-styled Libyan National Army, loyal to the country's east strongman Khalifa Haftar, fire mortars during clashes with militants in Benghazi's central Akhribish district (AFP/Getty)

Twenty suspected Isis fighters were shot and killed at point blank range by the self-styled Libyan National Army, according to two videos released on social media.

The first clip shows 18 men in orange jump suits kneeling on the ground, blindfolded. A man believed to be Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a senior leader of General Khalifa Haftar’s forces, can be seen reading out charges before executing one of the people himself, according to the Libyan Express.

A second video shows two more suspects killed.

The executions reportedly took place on 17 July, with footage posted online on Sunday.

On 18 July, United Nations human rights spokesperson Liz Throssell urged General Haftar's faction to investigate executions and suspend the commander, Werfalli.

“We are deeply concerned that, after recent fighting in Benghazi, people taken prisoner by members of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which effectively controls eastern Libya, may be at imminent risk of torture and even summary execution.

“Reports have suggested the involvement of Special Forces, a unit aligned with the LNA, in torturing detainees and summarily executing at least 10 captured men.

“We urge the LNA to ensure there is a full, impartial investigation into these allegations.”

The UN had also called on the general to suspend Werfalli after a video emerged in March, allegedly showing him shooting dead three men who were kneeling in a similar fashion to the suspected Isis detainees in the July clip.

The latest video comes as French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host General Haftar and Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in an effort to help broker a UN-supported agreement between the two. Tensions are high after General Haftar was quoted to have said he refuses to work with the Unity Government until the militias are disbanded.

The country has been in a volatile state since rebel forces enacted a coup and removed Muammar Gaddafi from power, in 2011.

A statement from the French president reads: “France intends, through this initiative, to facilitate a political understanding between the Libyan Prime Minister and the Commander of the Libyan National Army, as Mr Ghassan Salamé, the United Nations Secretary-General's new Special Representative for Libya, who is participating in the discussions, takes office as United Nations mediator.

“In consultation with all its partners, France intends to signal its support for the efforts to build a political compromise, under the aegis of the United Nations, which draws all the various Libyan players together on an inclusive basis.

“The challenge is to create a state which is capable of addressing the Libyans' basic needs and equipped with a regular, unified army under the authority of civilian power. This is necessary for controlling Libya's territory and borders in order to combat terrorist groups and the trafficking of arms and migrants, but also with a view to the return of stable institutional life.”