The current situation in Libya is getting tense as forces led by Libya’s renegade General Khalifa Haftar have launched an air raid against the only functioning airport in Tripoli. All flights at Mitiga International Airport were suspended temporarily after the air attack, forcing hundreds of passengers to be evacuated. The authorities confirmed no casualties were reported following the air strike.
The air strike was made as Gen Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army (LNA), ordered his forced to take control of Tripoli from Libya’s UN-backed government on Thursday. The move triggered an escalation in political tension in the country. There is currently an UN-backed internationally recognised government led by Fayez al-Sarraj in Libya. The country has been coping with counter civil unrest since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The UN has condemned the air strike. According to the international body, at least 2,800 people have so far been displaced in an upsurge in violence.
Maria do Valle Ribeiro, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Libya, said the ongoing violence in the country had prevented emergency services from reaching casualties and civilians, and damaged electricity lines. She warned the increasing violence is worsening the situation for migrants held in detention centres in Tripoli.
Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary in Luxembourg said the EU foreign ministers had reached a consensus that there was no military solution in Libya and that a UN peace process must be supported.
Notably, the unrest in Libya is expected to escalate further as the government is getting ready to launch a counter-attack against Haftar’s forces.
Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy for Libya, said he met with Sarraj on Monday to discuss how the UN mission can assist at this critical and difficult juncture, reported The Guardian.
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement released on Sunday that Washington was deeply concerned about Haftar’s threat to Tripoli. Libya’s neighbor, Tunisia as well as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have also appealed for calm.
