Libya: 3 killed in airstrike by Haftar forces

By Fekry Hamdy Fadl Abdeen

TRIPOLI (AA) - Three people were killed Tuesday in Libya in an airstrike carried out by forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar, according to the Government of National Accord (GNA).

Health Ministry spokesman Fevzi Uneyyis said on the Facebook page of “Operation Volcano of Rage,” a military operation being conducted by GNA forces, that the Haftar forces launched the airstrike in the Ayn Zara area south of the capital Tripoli.

The Haftar forces are yet to make a statement on the issue.

Haftar’s forces launched a campaign in April to capture Tripoli from Libya’s internationally recognized GNA.

Clashes between the two sides have left more than 1,000 people dead and around 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The oil-rich country has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.

Libya has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.