Libya: Airstrike hits Mitiga international airport

By Waleed Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) – Libya’s Mitiga international airport in the capital Tripoli was hit by an airstrike on Thursday.

The aircrafts that targeted the airport were believed to be loyal to Gen. Khalifa Haftar, eye witnesses told Anadolu Agency.

The airstrike came after few hours of another two airstrikes on Wednesday evening.

On Sept. 2, operations were suspended in the Mitiga airport due to attacks by Haftar's forces, while all flights were diverted to Misrata international airport.

Haftar’s forces launched a campaign in April to capture Tripoli from Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).

Clashes between the two sides since then have left more than 1,000 dead and about 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization.

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 the east to which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara