Renegade commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) launched air strikes on a military base within Tripoli’s airport for a second night, reported Aljazeera.
On Thursday, LNA issued a statement in which it confirmed that it attacked the military section of the Tripoli airport, targeting a Turkish plane. No further explanation was available. Civilian air traffic from Tripoli’s Mitiga airport continued to operate as normal despite the attack. The eastern army reported a similar strike on Wednesday, but air traffic was not affected.
The LNA began the offensive in early April in an attempt to seize Tripoli from the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), which was installed by the United Nations in 2016. It has, however, failed to breach defences in the southern suburbs.
According to data released by the World Health Organization, more than 75,000 people have been driven from their homes, 510 have been killed and 2,400 people have also been wounded since the offensive began. Around 100,000 people including migrants and refugees are feared trapped by the clashes raging on the outskirts of Tripoli.
Meanwhile, the Libyan deputy prime minister, Ahmed Omar Maiteeg, told NBC News that he is hopeful that the United States would stick by the U.N.-recognized government. He also said that he is encouraged from discussions with State Department officials during a U.S. visit this week.
“We don’t need U.S. support with money or troops on the ground. … We need the U.S. supporting us diplomatically and politically,” he said.
The Libyan eastern forces commander Haftar is also expected to meet the United States President Donald Trump at the White House sometime later this month. The meeting between Trump and Haftar is rumored to be in the final stages and is expected to take place in Washington DC on June 15.
