East Libya forces claim full control of Tripoli airport

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI (AA) – Forces loyal to East Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar on Saturday claimed to have taken full control of Tripoli International Airport.

The forces "are carrying out an operation to secure the airport as a launching point to seize control of other vital sites inside the capital in the upcoming few hours", the war information division of the Haftar’s forces said in a statement.

The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) has yet to comment on the claim.

On Thursday, Haftar launched a military campaign to recapture Tripoli from GNA forces.

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of President Muammar Gaddafi after four decades in power.

Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power: one in the eastern city of Al-Bayda, to which Haftar is linked, and another in Tripoli.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat