Ahmad al-Mesmari said that they themselves carried out the air raid on the irregular migrant center east of the capital Tripoli.

"We have targeted the militia brigade and weapons depot here. This center repeatedly targeted by airstrikes and gunshots previously. In this case, the main responsibility is those who brought illegal immigrants here," he said.

Mesmari also said they have carried out airstrikes across Libya, covering two-thirds of the country, including the south.

However, a report released by the UN accused Haftar forces of the attack.

"There are reports that following the first impact, some refugees and migrants were fired upon by guards as they tried to escape," said the OCHA report, which came a day after UN authorities emphasized that the airstrikes -- by renegade Libyan General Khalifa Haftar – may have constituted a war crime.

"The number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict has almost doubled as the result of this single attack," added the OCHA report.

Meanwhile, bodies were still being recovered from the rubble at the site of the bombing, suggesting that casualties could further increase.

The airstrikes came just days after military officials with the Tripoli government declared seizure of sophisticated US missiles and weaponry from the UAE at a base they captured from forces allied to Haftar in the south of the capital.

ILKHA