Tripoli forces capture 3 of pro-Haftar fighters

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI (AA) - Three of Eastern Libyan fighters led by military commander Khalifa Haftar were captured by the Tripoli-based forces, according to an official statement early Thursday.

Three elements loyal to Haftar were captured in Wadi Al-Rabi area, south of Tripoli, according to the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).

GNA's spokesman Mohammed Qannounu pointed, in a statement, to the death of a civilian and the injury of another as a result of indiscriminate shells fired by Haftar’s forces on Salah al-Din area in Tripoli.

There was no immediate comment from Haftar’s forces on the GNA’s claim.

Forces aligned with Haftar have launched a campaign in April to capture Tripoli from Libya’s internationally recognized GNA.

Clashes between the two sides have left over 1,000 people dead and around 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

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, including one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.

* Ibrahim Mukhtar contributed to this report from Ankara