Hafyana, a photographer for the independent Fassato News Agency, was hit by shrapnel when members of a militia opened fire on a crowd of protesters in Tripoli, according to Fassato. The demonstrators were protesting against the presence of militias in the capital, according to news reports.
Nouri Karewah, founder and manager of Fassato News Agency, told CPJ that Hafyana usually covered social events at Nafousa mountain area, 120 miles north of Tripoli. He took photos for lectures, government events, and social gatherings, and regularly filmed demonstrations inside Tripoli.
Karewah told CPJ that Hafayana called him more than 10 times that day to report on the protests. Then, he said, another individual answered Hafayana's phone and said the journalist had been taken to Abu Selim hospital. Hafayana died shortly after, according to Fassato and Karewah.
Hafayana is the first journalist to be killed for his work in Libya since 2011, according to CPJ research.