Military planes fly Wagner mercenaries out of Libya

ANKARA

At least eight military transport planes arrived in East Libya to airlift mercenaries of the Russian Wagner Group out of the country.

The government-led Burkan Al-Ghadab, or Volcano of Rage, Operation, tweeted on Monday that an Antonov An-32 military cargo plane landed at Bani Walid Airport to "resume the transportation of the Wagner mercenaries."

On Sunday, Salem Alaywan, Mayor of the town Bani Walid said that the Wagner Group, which supported renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, left the country.

Burkan Al-Ghadab went on to say that it had on Sunday spotted seven military cargo planes that arrived at the same airport.

It pointed out that the seven aircraft brought ammunition and military equipment before being boarded by the Russian mercenaries, adding that 1,500 to 1,600 mercenaries had fled clashes against government forces around the capital Tripoli to the Bani Walid area.

The government, also known as the Government of National Accord, 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, Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.