Thirty more horses stolen in another armed attack on Libya's biggest stud farm

Armed militias have struck again at Libya's biggest stud, Al Shaab, stealing the remaining 30 horses having taken six stallions and six in-foal mares at the weekend.

The farm's general manager and equine veterinarian, Dr Amad Eshaab, revealed the latest disaster on Twitter, writing: "Now armed militias from Tarhuna have returned to steal the remaining 30 horses. I expect the worst. I stand in front of a stable silenced, my world is sad, the world is shameful. Militias want to set fire to the stud. They have already burned my heart and soul."

The 1998 Solario Stakes winner Raise A Grand, who was saddled by the late Pip Payne to land the Sandown Group 3 under Gary Carter, and is a former resident of Rossenarra Stud, was among the stallions snatched at the weekend, along with A.P. Indy's half-brother Eavesdropper.

The stud near Tripoli was initially looted and horses stolen in a raid reported to have lasted 14 hours, beginning on Saturday.

Aside from now-24-year-old Raise A Grand and 20-year-old Eavesdropper, the other stallions taken were Australian-breds Backdraft, Brut Force and Churchill Downs, who are all 16, and 15-year-old Metternich, who ran twice at Wolverhampton when with John Gosden late in 2008.

The ongoing and increasingly bloody civil conflict in Libya dates to the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which led to civil war, foreign military intervention, and the ousting and death of Muammar Gaddafi.

The whereabouts of the stolen horses and intentions of the kidnappers are unknown.

Eshaab added on Twitter, where many have expressed their concerns and sympathies in reply to his posts: "I cannot believe that my life's work has been destroyed and the horses have suffered from barbaric people. Thank you for your feeling."

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