TRIPOLI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UNICEF on Tuesday regretted the killing of three children and injuring of another by indiscriminate shelling in Libya's capital Tripoli earlier in the day.
"UNICEF is deeply saddened with the reports that three children aged 10 to 12 were killed and one injured as a result of the shelling in Al-Hadba Badri area," UNICEF said in a statement.
UNICEF called on all parties to conflict to "abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law to protect boys and girls at all times."
"Attacks on children is one of the gravest violations of child rights," UNICEF warned.
Indiscriminate shelling on Tuesday hit a residential area in Tripoli, killing three children and injuring another, according to a local official.
The forces of the UN-backed Libyan government and the east-based army blamed each other for the deadly shelling.
The east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in an attempt to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government.
Thousands of people have been killed and injured in the fighting, and more than 150,000 civilians were forced to flee their homes away from the violence.
The two rival parties agreed on a cease-fire on Jan. 12, but both have been exchanging accusations of breaching the truce.
