Libyan capital, under siege, gets water back after 2 days

FILE - In this April 24, 2019 file photo, mourners pray for fighters killed in airstrikes by warplanes of Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter's forces, in Tripoli, Libya. After years of assassinations, bombings and militia firefights, Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi finally feels safe again, but the city center lies in ruins, thousands remain displaced, and forces loyal to Hifter, who now controls eastern Libya, have cracked down on dissent. Benghazi offers a glimpse of what may befall the capital, Tripoli, where Hifter’s forces launched an offensive in April against rival militias loosely allied with a weak, U.N.-recognized government. (AP Photo/Hazem Ahmed, File)

BENGHAZI, Libya – Authorities say the Libyan capital, which has been under attack by commander Khalifa Hifter's forces since last month, has seen its water supplies resume two days after gunmen shut the pipes down, depriving over 2 million residents of water.

The Interior Ministry says the gunmen on Sunday stormed the offices of a water distribution agency that runs a network of underground pipelines providing the capital and the region with water, and shut it at gunpoint.

The ministry says the gunmen demanded Tripoli release their leader Khalifa Ahnish's brother, jailed for belonging to an outlawed group.

The U.N. humanitarian coordinator, Maria Ribeiro, condemned the attack and said that such actions "may be considered war crimes."

The water distribution agency says water supplies to Tripoli resumed on Tuesday, without elaborating.