Libya: Government forces strike Haftar militias

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) – Libya’s UN-recognized government of National Accord (GNA) said on Monday it had targeted three airstrikes at militia of warlord Khalifa Haftar southeast of the capital Tripoli.

Following the airstrikes on militia in Tarhuna, a city 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Tripoli, Mustafa al-Majei, spokesman for the GNA-led Operation Volcano of Rage, told Anadolu Agency that there is a cautious calm in areas south of Tripoli.

Al-Majei confirmed that government forces are keeping their positions in the areas around Tarhuna.

On Saturday, GNA forces launched an operation to recapture Tarhuna, a town of strategic value for Haftar and his last major stronghold in the area surrounding Tripoli.

Tarhuna is a major focal point for Haftar’s militias in their onslaught against Tripoli as well as for their supply lines from Al-Jufra airbase.

The GNA has been under attack by Haftar's forces since last April, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence. It launched Operation Peace Storm on March 26 to counter attacks on the capital.

Since the ouster of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya, supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.


* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara