The forces loyal to Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) on Monday said they fought off a major attack on Tripoli led by strongman Khalifa Haftar and his forces, capturing 11 Haftar-affiliated fighters in the process. The attack left casualties on both sides.
“Our forces repelled a major attack by Haftar’s forces on several fronts in southern Tripoli which they had planned and mobilized for days,” Mustafa Al-Majai, a spokesman of the GNA’s military operation told AFP, reported Arab News.
The spokesman said Haftar’s forces suffered large equipment losses during the battle. In the attack, six fighters loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) were killed and several others wounded, while 25 fighters from Haftar’s forces were also killed.
According to Al-Majai, the Haftar attack was waged in various sites south of Tripoli including Al-Khula, Ain Zara, and El-Sbeaa, and the latter witnessed the capture of the Haftar-affiliated fighters. The Haftar forces are yet to issue a statement on the situation.
Meanwhile, a fighter plane belonging to the Khalifa Hafter-led Libyan National Army (LNA) was forced to make a landing in Mednine in Tunisia on Monday. The pilot Faraj Al-Gharyani was detained by Tunisian authorities on the spot. As per reports, the L-39 type plane took off from the Brak Al-Shati base, currently controlled by the LNA-aligned forces.
According to the Tunisian defense ministry’s statement, the warplane was laden with missiles. The pilot said he had a technical malfunction that led him to make an emergency landing.
Haftar launched the campaign to capture Tripoli from GNA forces in April this year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the clashes between the two sides since then have left more than 1,000 people killed and about 5,500 wounded. The fighting has also forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes.
