Tripoli [Libya], July 2: Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar has on Tuesday threatened to launch fresh air strikes in the nation to “liberate Tripoli”, a day after five army personnel were reported killed during air raids.
According to ANI news reports, while urging civilians to keep themselves away from what he called the red-alert “confrontation areas”, Mohamed Manfour, Air Force commander of Haftar-led Libyan National Army (LNA), said they are planning to launch fresh aerial strikes because “traditional means” to liberate Tripoli had been finished.
Libyan army chief Khalifa Haftar-led LNA (Libyan National Army) has claimed on Sunday shooting down a Turkish drone found parked at the international airport of Mitiga in the capital Tripoli.
In the latest turmoil since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the commander’s Libyan National Army (LNA) force stepped up its presence to take control over Tripoli despite battling that has caused a crisis in the southern suburbs, as well as, displaced tens of hundreds of people.
Internationally recognized Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj has last month said he was not ready to hold negotiation talks with commander Khalifa Haftar to put an end to the two-month-long offensives against Tripoli.
Earlier in April, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the head of Libyan National Army (LNA), launched his offensive to gain control over Tripoli which the GNA controls. Around 400 people have lost their lives with more than thousands been displaced as GNA and LNA’s forces clashed in the capital, Tripoli, according to ANI news reports.
Since the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been divided into two sectors. The Libyan National Army (LNA) backed parliament controls the east of Libya, while the United Nations-backed interim GNA (Government of National Accord) holds control over the western region on Libya from Tripoli.
Also read:
- Libyan PM Serraj rules out negotiation talks with rival Khalifa Haftar to end war
- UNSC extends arms embargo to Libya for additional 1 year
- Over 90,000 Libyans displaced due to military combat in Tripoli: UN
-
Turkish drone destroyed at Tripoli airport, Libyan Khalifa Haftar-led LNA forces claim