The battle for Libya’s capital between Commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and the UN-backed Fayez Al Sarraj’s internationally-recognized government is showing no signs of slowing down even as the holy month of Ramadan begins.
Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) initiated the assault on April 4 with an aim of deposing the internationally recognized government from the capital. According to the UN, the fighting between the LNA and forces backing the GNA has killed at least 432 people, wounded 2,069 and displaced more than 50,000.
According to Reuters, Eastern Libyan forces commander Haftar has urged his troops to battle harder with the enemies and teach them an “even harder lesson” as the month of Ramadan, which begins on Monday, was considered as a month of holy war.
“Officers and soldiers of our armed forces and affiliates, I greet you during these glorious days and call on you to inflict on the enemy, with your force and determination, an even harder and bigger lesson than before,” Haftar noted in a message read out by LNA spokesman General Ahmad al-Mesmari.
On the audiotape released by his force’s spokesman, Haftar said Ramadan had not been a reason to halt previous battles when he seized the eastern cities of Benghazi and Derna and expanded his power after the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Haftar’s message for his troops came mere hours after the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called for “an extendable one-week humanitarian truce” to mark the beginning of Ramadan. The international body called on all parties to cease military operations, including reconnaissance and mobilization.
“The mission encourages all parties to use the truce to exchange prisoners and the bodies of the deceased and expresses its readiness to provide the necessary support in this regard,” UNSMIL said.
