Libya: GNA battles Haftar forces in Tripoli attack

Fighting still ongoing as warlord's forces launch assault in capital's south

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) – Libya’s UN-recognized government said on Thursday it is confronting an ongoing attack by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces on the capital Tripoli.

A spokesperson for the Government of National Accord (GNA) said fighting is taking place south of the Libyan capital, which has been under siege since last April.

The attack comes just a day after the UN Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution demanding “a lasting ceasefire” in the North African country.

Fourteen countries voted for the resolution drafted by the UK and Germany. It is the first binding text adopted by the 15-nation UNSC since the conflict flared up last year.

The resolution also includes plans for a monitoring mission in Libya and urges countries to stop sending arms to the war-ravaged country.

Based in Libya’s east, warlord Haftar’s forces launched an offensive to take Tripoli last April but the UN-recognized government has been able to keep them restricted to the city’s outskirts.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara

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