3 injured in rocket attack by Haftar forces in Libya

By Waleed Abdullah

TRIPOLI (AA) – Three people were injured Monday in a rocket attack by forces aligned with eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar east of Tripoli, the UN-recognized government said.

One of those injured was in a critical condition in the attack that targeted residential neighborhoods in the town of Tajura, the media office of the Government of National Accord (GNA) said in a statement.

In April, Haftar's forces launched a military campaign to capture Tripoli from GNA, but have so far failed to progress beyond the city's outskirts.

On Dec. 12, however, Haftar announced that he has ordered his militants to launch a "decisive battle" to capture the city.

According to the UN, more than 1,000 people have been killed and at least 5,000 injured since the start of the operation.

Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: One in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara