Libya’s United Nations-backed government on Friday condemned attacks on airports by the eastern-based army in western Libya.
“The Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord condemns the cowardly airstrikes on civilian airports in the western region by Haftar’s army, which damaged the infrastructure of the airports, frightened civilians, and disrupted flights,” the government said in a statement, reported Xinhua.
The government demanded the UN Mission in Libya to take a clearer stand against the attacks.
The statement comes after forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar attacked two airports controlled by the unity government in northern Libya. The militants targeted Tripoli’s sole functioning airport Mitiga and Zuwara airfield for the second time in less than 48 hours. The raids killed an airport staffer, wounded another, and caused material damage resulting in the closure of the airport for a number of hours.
Ahmad al-Mismari, spokesman of Libya’s eastern army, on Friday said that the army’s air force had targeted the airport of the western city of Zuwara, some 120 km west of the capital Tripoli, and destroyed a hanger used to store drones.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya denounced increasing attacks on civilian airports in western Libya. The UNSM stressed that these attacks must cease immediately, and reiterated that airports used by civilians are not military targets.
“These attacks have endangered the lives of thousands of civilian travelers, including UN staff and humanitarian workers,” UNSMIL said in a statement.
The mission also reminded the two parties to the conflict that they must take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian laws and that failure to do may constitute a crime of war.
The fight between the forces loyal to the GNA and the LNA has killed 1,093 people and wounded 5,752 since April, according to the World Health Organization.
