Libyan army gaining ground south of Tripoli

ANKARA

The Libyan army is advancing in the southern part of Tripoli in areas occupied by militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar, according to a military source.

The army is heading to areas of the old Tripoli airport, Remle region and the Naqliyya military camp, located 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of the capital.

Operation Volcano of Rage, run by the army, said three military vehicles belonging to Haftar’s militias in the Kazirma region were rendered inoperable by howitzer cannons.

- 15 Haftar militias captured

Army spokesperson Col. Mohammed Gununu said Tuesday that 15 Haftar militias and a military vehicle were captured by troops in the southern al-Halle region of Tripoli.

The government, also known as the Government of National Accord (GNA), has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019.

His illegal forces in eastern Libya have launched several attacks to capture Tripoli with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

The government launched Operation Peace Storm on March 26 to counter attacks on the capital. Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, a new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.

With the continuous defeats of Haftar suffered by GNA forces, parliament speaker Aguila Saleh announced a proposal in late April to reach a political solution to the crisis.

Immediately after the proposal, Hafter declared himself sole ruler of Libya, dropping the UN-brokered Skhirat agreement signed in 2015 between warring sides. The move was condemned by international actors and regional allies.

Haftar, however, was unable to overthrow the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and speaker Saleh, who was seen as a subordinate of Haftar, as he enjoys major tribal support in eastern Libya.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin