A member of the Libyan National Army flashes a victory sign next to a burning tank after clashes to recover oil ports in Ras Lanuf, Libya June 21, 2018. Picture taken June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer
CAIRO – 2 May 2020: The Libyan National Army (LNA) declared the confiscation of two Turkish Kirpi armored vehicles while foiling an attempt by the militias of the Government of National Accord (GNA) to enter Ain Zara district southern Tripoli on May 1.
The LNA deterred a twin attack on Al Mashrou and Ain Zara districts by GNA militias causing material and human losses among them. In Al Mashrou district, the Libyan Armed Forces was able to restore the points lost to militias on April 30 after fierce clashes and the takeover of Matabat Street.
The LNA announced withdrawing seven bodies that belong to Syrian mercenaries after the militias had fled the battle field in the Mashrou District. The Libyan Armed Forces also burned a vehicle and restored three others from the militias.
On April 27, the General Commander of the Libyan Armed Forces Khalifa Haftar declared fulfilling the Libyan people's demand to rule the country and cancel Skhirat Agreement signed on December 17, 2015 to achieve reconciliation and hold elections.
Speaker of the Libyan Parliament Aguila Saleh announced earlier this week the cancelation of a political initiative consisting of eight points on restructuring the current executive authority. That initiative was derived from Skhirat Agreement, and was aimed at selecting new members of the executive authority, rewriting the constitution, and the operation of the current House of Representatives until new legislative elections take place.
The Libyan House of Representatives, elected in August 2014, currently convenes in Tobruk which also houses an interim government that rules Libyan territories except for Tripoli and Misrata, which are controlled by the GNA. Yet, the general command of the Libyan Armed Forces is based in Benghazi eastern Libya.
The GNA, which lost Sirte to the LNA in January 2020, is an interim non-elected government that is recognized by the United Nations. The GNA is protected by militias, and signed in December 2019 two MoUs with Turkey on defense and gas drilling in the Mediterranean.
As a consequence, Turkey transported more than 6,000 Syrian mercenaries into Libya, and sent Turkish officers and military experts to command the operations rooms of Tripoli militias.
Furthermore, Turkey has been using Tripoli's Mitiga airbase to pilot drones that target LNA concentrations and forces that encircle the capital and Misrata.
Spokesperson of the LNA Ahmed al-Mesmary declared in April that the militias attempt to enter Al Watiyah district western Tripoli in order to take over its base to pilot Turkish drones as the Libyan Armed Forces are deployed near Mitiga airbase and can recover it soon.
CAIRO - 26 April 2020: A Libyan military source told Youm7 that since April 4, the Libyan National Army (LNA) has downed around 60 drones that were granted by Turkey to the militias of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in order to impede the advances of the Libyan Armed Forces towards Tripoli.
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