Libyan Caliph Haftar forces evacuate two major cities between Tripoli and Tunisia
Tripoli … News Time
Internationally accredited government (GNA) troops in Libya have claimed the ouster of militant group Khalifa Haftar from two major cities. Al-Jazeera reports that the government said that Khalifa Haftar’s forces had been evacuated from two major strategic coastal cities between the capital Tripoli and the Tunisian border. “Our forces have taken control of Sorman and Sabratha and progress is in progress,” GNA spokesman Mohammed Gnunu said in a statement. According to the report, government forces released pictures on the social networking site Facebook, claiming it was a weapon seized by the Caliph Haftar’s army. According to government forces, they seized rocket launchers, 10 tanks and military vehicles from Haftar’s army. GNA commander Mohammad al-Gammoudi said that Sorman and Sabratha were withdrawn after six hours of fighting, which also received air support.
On the other hand, no statement has been issued by the Khalifa Haftar Commander, Sarraj. Government forces said they could easily control the entire coastal area and the highway connecting Tripoli to Tunisia with the capture of Sabratha and Sorman. He said government forces could join the Berber and Amazigh forces fighting in the central city of Zuwara, which was occupied by Haftar, and advanced toward the stronger Airbus al-Watiya. Earlier, Colonel Muhammad Qanunu had said that the GNA’s air force had intercepted the intervention of a caliphate’s forces in Abu Grain, and two Chinese-made aircrafts and a Russian-made one. The Mi-35 helicopter was hit. According to reports, 9 GNA soldiers were also killed in the fighting and 30 of Khalifa Haftar’s fighters were killed.
Al-Jazeera reports that Libyan government forces used drones from Turkey. It is to be noted that Muammar Gaddafi, the long-time ruler of Libya, was ousted from power during the ‘Arab Spring’ campaign in 2011. Western countries participated in the offensive against Muammar Gaddafi, but after his ouster of power, tensions escalated in Libya and civil war began. Where militants were strong on one side, General Khalifa Haftar on the other hand formed his militia and established his government on one side. General Khalifa Haftar’s militia besieged Tripoli in April this year and disrupted the government’s system, and they have the support of key countries in the region – Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
The LNA had besieged Tripoli’s government since April 2019, and the attacks continued, and had just reached 370 km from the capital Tripoli, where fighting had been going on for several months. The GNA forces said they had retreated to avoid bloodshed, which had been in control since 2016.
