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On April 7th, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) posted a video from inside Tripoli International Airport.
The Libyan National Army Air Force also joined on the offensive on Tripoli.
The LNA said it had launched airstrikes targeting UN-backed forces in southern Tripoli.
The UN-backed government said 21 people have been killed and 27 injured in fighting around the capital.
Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Haftar’s forces, said on Saturday that 14 troops were killed.
In total, according to various reports upwards of 35 people have been killed on both sides since Haftar launched the offensive on April 3rd.
The Libyan Government of National Accord’s (LNGA) Prime minister Fayez al-Serraj accused Haftar of planning a coup. Government troops were reported to be moving towards the LNA lines to counter their advance.
The LNGA army on April 7th announced that it was preparing to mount a counteroffensive against the LNA. Colonel Mohamed Gnounou told reporters in Tripoli that the counteroffensive, dubbed “Volcano of Anger”, was aimed at “purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces.”
the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) made an “urgent appeal” for a two-hour truce in the southern suburbs to evacuate the wounded and civilians caught in the fighting.
“[UNSMIL calls on] all armed parties in the Wadi Rabi area, Al-Kayekh, Gasr Ben Ghachir and Al-Aziziya to respect a humanitarian truce [between 14:00 and 16:00 GMT] to secure the evacuation of wounded and civilians by rescue teams and the Libyan Red Crescent.”
Pro-NATO experts apeared skeptical of the capability of Haftar’s forces.
“I mean I don’t see any lack of intent (from Haftar’s troops),” said Kamran Bokhari, director of the Center for Global Policy. “I’m more concerned about capability, and that’s where I’m not sure whether his (Haftar’s) forces are up to the task. I mean he was able to take over much of the southwest, I mean easily. Tripoli, he’s going to face a lot of resistance. So we’re looking at a long, protracted conflict.”
The US on its part called for peace and for the parties to stand down.
US Deputy Sec. of State Sullivan on #Libya: “We are urging that the parties stand down. An incursion into Tripoli would be an exceedingly bad and dangerous move.”https://t.co/7jeZsFMn4D
— U.S. Embassy – Libya (@USAEmbassyLibya) April 6, 2019
Other footage on social media appeared to show an American vessel leaving a site near Tripoli. The US said the move was due to security conditions on the ground. A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya to help combat Islamic militant groups.
البعثة الامريكية بمدينة النخيل / جنزور تغادر #طرابلس عبر فرقاطة امريكية في بداية الصباح الباكر. pic.twitter.com/JzSulwRCe4
— Abdulrahman Ghummied (@AGhummied) April 7, 2019
#حصري لحظة مغادرة الامريكان من ليبيا بالم سيتي جنزور اليوم بتاريخ 7-4-2019 معناها طرابلس مقبلة علي حرب ضروس اللهم استر اهلنا الأبرياء في ام السرايا #طرابلس #الادمن01
Posted by الرجبان الان on Saturday, April 6, 2019
Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command confirmed the pull out.
“The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable. Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing US strategy.”
Col. Chris Karns, spokesman for Africa Command, reiterated that the movement of troops would not impact the force’s ability to respond to threats and targets.
“For security reasons, I won’t pinpoint where these forces will flow,” said Karns. “It is important (that) groups, such as ISIS, don’t have an exact map of our whereabouts, but instead we use our finite resources on the continent to adjust swiftly, efficiently, and employ with maximum effect.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement calling on Haftar to stop the offensive.
“We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital.”
Separately, the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) made an “urgent appeal” for a two-hour truce in the southern suburbs to evacuate the wounded and civilians caught in the fighting.
“[UNSMIL calls on] all armed parties in the Wadi Rabi area, Al-Kayekh, Gasr Ben Ghachir and Al-Aziziya to respect a humanitarian truce [between 14:00 and 16:00 GMT] to secure the evacuation of wounded and civilians by rescue teams and the Libyan Red Crescent.”
On April 8th, AFP reported that Russia had blocked a UN Security Council statement that would have called on forces loyal to Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar to halt their advance on Tripoli.
Anonymous diplomats said that after a closed-door meeting on April 5th, the council called on Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army to “halt its military activity” in an agreed statement to the press. Moscow, however, allegedly blocked it.
The draft also would have “called for those who undermine Libya’s peace and security to be held to account” and renewed support for a national conference to be held this month on holding elections.
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If the Americans are pulling out you know that the game is up. Some think tank dude can say that Haftar’s forces aren’t capable of taking Tripoli, but I suspect he thinks more about what he’s going to get for lunch from the think tank cafeteria. It’s possible that the battle for Tripoli will be long and protracted, very much so. On the other hand if the LGNA had the ability to stand up to Haftar why did they allow him to take most of the country, and then advance deeply into its territory? Taking the Tripoli airport. Haftar seems like a cautious dude, so far his advance has been slow and methodically. To the point where we were thinking nothing was changing inside Libya. And now he’s thrown all caution into the wind for a mad dash towards the capital?
Civil wars in the middle east aren’t just won by he who has the biggest army and guns. There’s also a hefty amount of negotiating, bribing and allianceing going on. I reckon if Haftar is going all out for Tripoli he feels he has the big guns and made the right kinds of negotiatings, bribings and allianceings.
Nato steals Libya’s oil,and sell weapons to the libyans to kill each other.
And, NATO’s policies since 2011 have essentially turned Libya into an open borders catchment site for central and north Africans, who either filter into open air modern slave camps, or manage to pay criminal syndicates for illegal immigration crossings of the Mediterranean toward southern Europe – dumping them onto shores of Italy or Greece.
He did not throw all caution into the wind. The reason is advancing so rapidly is exactly because he prepared very well his move and when you see in a civil war one side to advance rapidly, usually means the mass population, is at his side.
I think you misunderstood me. Him being such a cautious guy and now advancing so fast could very well be exactly what you said, a sign that Haftar has prepared his move very well and the LGNA is rapidly collapsing. If their troops aren’t willing to fight Haftar hundreds of kilometers to the south of Tripoli, why would they fight to the death inside Tripoli?
I did not just explained what you been trying to say in a more clear way, for the posters they are reading us.
What’s with ‘LGNA’? I know it was used in the article “Libyan Government of National Accord’s (LNGA)”, but I’ve never seen it labeled that way except here. The unexpected added ‘L’ is confusing – it’s understood that the GNA is Libyan. Everyone just calls them the GNA, not the LGNA.
I don’t know, it’s so hard to tell them apart. For years it was even unclear who to root for. I’m only rooting for Haftar because I just want the war in Libya to be over ASAP.
He is a professional soldier, his enemies are mostly politicians priests and businessmen in uniform, he will win.
Yes and if Tripoli is surrounded the defenders, however tough, become totally dependent on supplies being brought in. And they didn’t sign up for being heroes, they just wanted the country to rule and exploit.
“””US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement calling on Haftar to stop the offensive.
“We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital.”
Pompeo you wind bag, do something about it, you had marines on the ground, you can mobilize the sixth fleet like you did in 2011, you can airlift forces in Tripoli,…etc. This all shows US military is inept, and it’s leaders are baffoons that spout out nonesense and idiotic statements.
The UN draft also would have “called for those who undermine Libya’s peace and security to be held to account”…………………..
Excellent, arrest the FUKUS scoundrels that manufactured the destruction of once rich Libya.
“The US said the move was due to security conditions on the ground”
Nope.
The move is due to Israel not ordering the US to stay, like instead happens in Syria.
Moreover, the “security” argument is rather foolish in itself. Militaries are deployed because the security is low. Otherwise you could as well deploy the Boy Scouts and the salvation army.
Ther is only one think . if AL saud and uae and eggypt is supporting haftar and US pull ou. can say one think if haftar take over Libya. this GCC and US want Libya to shake and have diplomatic relation with Zionist regime. so they can increase arab state normal relation . to try and isolate ressitance group. now its all depend on haftar which side he is taking. unless this GCC and US they want another dictator undedr Zionist slave
Haftar is a tad smarter than I thought. He timed his decisive attack on Tripoli knowing that France, given Macron embattled position and ongoing civil unrest, is less likely to have stomach for full intervention; in Italy Salvini would agree with any one leader that is capable to stem the flow of immigrants and Britain is too busy and tied up with their super messy brexit.
The overturn of Qaddafi has never been (on exception) a US enterprise per se, and such US will likely call it off, and focus instead on Venezuela who is much closer to home and their geographic backyard. So Hafted has seen a window of political opportunity and is determined to capitalize on it.
I hope he has the military wherewithal to eliminate or pacify with lucrative deal the various warlords. With exception of ISIS, I think most par -military groups would be amenable to peace agreement if they get a slice of the oil pie. Without Iran and Israel proxies on the ground, I think a resolution that would be agreeable to most on the ground can be found sooner rather than later.