Pictures from war-torn Libya show Brut Force but also brute force

Above is the welcome sight of 16-year-old stallion Brut Force, one of six sires captured by armed militias in raids at the start of 2020 but now back in the possession of Al Shaab Stud supremo Dr Amad Eshaab.

Dr Eshaab supplied the photo of the son of Giant's Causeway who raced in New Zealand and went on to become Libya's leading sire, which was taken at the stables of Muhammad al-Kani.

He also sent images of stud workers praying after the recovery of 38 of the stolen 59 horses, and of the dilapidated farm at al-Kani's base after its destruction by a Pantsir missile system.

Prayers of thanks after 38 horses were recovered (top), while the picture above shows the bombed premises of Muhammad al-Kani

As reported earlier in the week, 1998 Solario Stakes winner Raise A Grand has also been found, along with the ex-John Gosden-trained Metternich, but the whereabouts of fellow stallions Eavesdropper, Backdraft and Churchill Downs remains unknown.

War continues to rage in Libya, which plunged into chaos after the killing of Colonel Gaddafi during the 2011 uprising.

The north African country is split between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by opposing fighters struggling for power in the wake of Gaddafi's downfall.

Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army - whose aligned militias raided Al Shaab - has since last year sought to gain control over the west, fighting the Government of National Accord in an abortive attempt to seize Tripoli.

GNA forces are backed by Turkey, while the LNA is supported by the UAE, Egypt and Russia.

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