Libyan army launches operation to recapture Tripoli airport

By Ali Abo Rezeg and Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - The Libyan army officially announced, on Wednesday, the launch of the operation to liberate Tripoli Airport, south of the country's capital, from the militia of the warlord Khalifa Haftar.

This came in a statement by the Libyan army spokesman Muhammad Qanunu, and reported by the Libyan army's official Facebook account.

"We officially announce the start of the airport liberation battle," Qanunu said.

Libya’s internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019.

In March, the Libyan government launched Operation Peace Storm to counter attacks on the capital, and recently regained strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase, in a major blow to Haftar's forces.

On Tuesday, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said Haftar has agreed to the resumption of ceasefire talks.

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to the military offensive by Haftar’s forces.