Drones attacked human targets on its own in Libya

Drones attacked human targets on its own in Libya

An incident that occurred last March in Libya has raised the concern of the international community. A report published by a UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Libya has shed light on the incident. The attack was directed at logistics convoys and retreating forces, which were hunted down by a lethal autonomous weapons system, or the STM Kargu-2 drone. The drone was deployed by Turkey during the Libyan civil war, and it found and attacked soldiers from Libya’s Haftar Armed Forces (HAF). The lethal autonomous weapons system is programmed to attack targets without needing data connectivity between the person operating the drone and the ammunition. The creator of the Kargu drone stated that it can be used against mobile or immobile targets through specific algorithms. 

According to reports, the drones are fitted with explosive charges and may be used for kamikaze attack. It is implied that, as the drones were operating autonomously and attacked the convoy and soldiers, the drones made the decision to attack on their own, independently. In 2018, the United Nations already urged countries to ban such killer machines, without any success, as the move was blocked by the United States and Russia.

Since 2013, Human Rights Watch has been campaigning against these, as they are commonly called, “killer robots” and urged countries to exercise caution with this kind of technology. Reportedly, around 30 countries have supported the plan to fully ban weapons of the sort. Human Rights Watch is part of a coalition of 161 Non-Governmental Organization supporting the ban on autonomous drone weapons which continues to advocate for a complete ban.