Libyan premier arrives in Algeria for talks

By Abdelrazak Abdallah

ALGIERS (AA) - The head of Libya's internationally-recognized government on Saturday arrived in Algeria in an official visit to discuss the ongoing conflict in his country.

According to the official Algerian TV network, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad, Foreign Ministers Sabri Boukadoum and Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud received Libyan premier Fayez al-Sarraj at the capital's Houari Boumediene Airport.

Al-Sarraj's one-day visit is expected to focus on the latest developments in Libya.

On Friday, Libyan local media said the country's Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha and al-Sarraj would meet Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The visit was al-Sarraj's second to Algeria this year after a similar one last January.

It comes a week after Tebboune received on June 13 the Speaker of the head of Libya's Tobruk-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, aligned with renegade general Khalifa Haftar.

The army recently inflicted heavy blows to Haftar and liberated Tripoli and Tarhuna, in addition to other strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase, from his militias.

The internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

*Bassel Ibrahim contributed to this report from Ankara