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On May 18th, the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) forces took control of the al-Watiya airbase from Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).
The push began on May 17th, with heavy airstrike activity, as the GNA pounded positions in and around the base.
عاجل
سلاح الجو نجح قبل لحظات في إستهداف هنغر به مجموعة آليات ادى لتفجيرات كبيرة داخل قاعدة الوطية المحتلة ، فيما استهدف في ضربة أخرى مبنى القيادة داخل القاعدة.
— عبدالمالك المدني (@madaNea14) May 17, 2020
As a result of the airstrikes, 7 LNA troops were either killed or wounded.
#عملية_بركان_الغضب: المتحدث الرسمي باسم الجيش الليبي عقيد طيار محمد قنونو :
سلاح الجو وجّه اليوم الاحد خمس ضربات جوية في قاعدة الوطية الجوية دمرت خلالها اليات و ذخائر ميليشيات حفتر الارهابية، و تحييد 7 عناصر بين قتيل و جريح #عاصفة_السلام pic.twitter.com/LtV9VIgkRi
— المركز الاعلامي لعملية بركان الغضب (@BurkanLy) May 18, 2020
An LNA drone was shot down north of Al-Watiya.
#عملية_بركان_الغضب: صور تُعرض لأول مرة لبقايا حطام طائرة وينق لونق صينية الصنع دعمت بها #الامارات ميليشيات حفتر الارهابية بعد ان استهدفتها قواتنا البطلة الساعة 04:53 فجر الاحد في سماء المنطقة بين #زوارة و #الجميل #عاصفة_السلام pic.twitter.com/snVlfctu4L
— المركز الاعلامي لعملية بركان الغضب (@BurkanLy) May 18, 2020
On the morning of May 18th, GNA Major General Usama Goueili, the commander of the GNA forces, announced that al-Watiya airbase had been entirely captured.
#عاجل || اللواء أسامة جويلي آمر غرفة العمليات المشتركة : قوات عملية بركان الغضب سيطرت علي قاعدة الوطية بالكامل
— ابراهيم قصودة ???? (@EbrahimGasuda) May 18, 2020
The LNA, likely in order to cut the supply routes initiated clashes north of al-Watiya, but there are no reports of any success.
#عاجل || اللواء أسامة جويلي آمر غرفة العمليات المشتركة : قوات عملية بركان الغضب سيطرت علي قاعدة الوطية بالكامل
— ابراهيم قصودة ???? (@EbrahimGasuda) May 18, 2020
The LNA, however, used the chance of the GNA being focused on al-Watiya to begin retaliating by shelling the Mitiga airbase near Tripoli.
Retaliation started, hearing missiles landing. Target maybe Mitiga or maybe civilians sleeping in their beds.#Haftar
— Annabel Rubio?????? (@RubioAnnabel) May 18, 2020
A video was also released allegedly showing a Russian-made Pantsir S1 system on the road, likely towards al-Watiya, but if true it would probably be diverted elsewhere as the GNA captured the base.
Here we go again , another video of the #russian pantsir system on the road , allegedly this system left Al-Brega today and is going towards #Tripoli/Al-wutyah.#Libya pic.twitter.com/6VSkAzWNXQ
— Ouais Hasairi (@HasairiOuais) May 17, 2020
Away from the battlefields, GNA council president Fayez al-Sarraj and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation discussing the developments in Libya, as well as the agreements that were signed back in November 2019 and implementing them, and specifically the maritime agreements allowing Turkey to extract resources in Libya’s EEZ.
#عاجل|
السراج وأردوغان يناقشان في اتصال هاتفي مستجدات الأوضاع في ليبيا، وتداعيات العدوان على العاصمة #طرابلس، وعدد من ملفات التعاون والقضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك.#ليبيا pic.twitter.com/X4CjKU9zBx— شبكة الرائد الإعلامية (@arraedlgplus) May 17, 2020
#Breaking_News
President of the GNA, Fayiz Al-Sarraj, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discuss the executive steps of the Memorandums of Understanding on security and military cooperation, and defining the areas of maritime viability in the Mediterranean.#Libya pic.twitter.com/zbmDFCNtNR— Arraed LG+ (@ArraedLG) May 17, 2020
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
“Specifically the maritime agreements allowing Turkey to extract resources in Libya’s EEZ”. That’s why this war is dragging on, Erdogan wants a cut of Libya’s oil.
Good analysis and as I have said, there are no good guys in Libya. But both Italy and Turkey are after Libya’s good quality low sulfur oil. It is not surprising that the Egyptian, UAE cunts who are supporting Haftar with lukewarm Russian support are doing fuckall as they are using third rate Chadian mercenaries and unwilling to commit their own forces. The Turkeys are now allied with Ukraine too, that is supplying pretty deadly Soviet era upgraded S-125M1 “Neva-M1” that will knock off the Pakistani flown Mirage 2000 the Emirati cunts are flying from Egypt. The Jew pimp Sisi will not commit the Egyptian losers F-16 for the fear of losing them to Turkeys Hawk AD systems and now the Neva.
Not quite…this is more about Turkey protecting its sea lines of communication. Bases in Mogadishu- Somalia, North Cyprus, Qatar and now Libya guarantees Turkey control of its sea lines of communication.
Libya trusts Turkey more than it trusts France, UAE etc because it saw what a Turkish presence in Somalia has done to the country. Prior to Turkey coming in people were dying in Somalia from starvation. Turkey didn’t go in there and steel Somalia’s natural resources- it rebuilt the country from its ashes. It trained Somali Military, built hospitals, sea ports, air ports, cultivated the land for agriculture etc.
The same will happen in Libya. The country will be rebuilt and become functional again. It will no longer be a colony of the EU.
Actually Turkey is protecting the big investments it made in Libya back when Muammar al-Gaddafi was in power. The French then overthrew him and thought they will just come in and get the contracts signed between al-Gaddafi and Turkey.
Lots of equipment captured and an intact Pantsir.
https://twitter.com/KyleWOrton/status/1262307460443930626
Another Pantsir blown to bits. https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1262312187084890114
Let the celebration begin
hahah dumbass!
Let the celebration began souflaki boy. haha ha ha
Muzztards vs muzztards….never fails to entertain me :D
25% of the world population is Muslim. This must hurt you every time you realise this.
Al Watiya is a isolated base west of Libya surrounding by GNA….nothing special change!..look at maps GNA only control few portion of Libya!
99% of libya is desert kiddo. Most of the libyans live in gna controll. No need to downplay Al Watiya air base, its a huge moral booster for gna and will allow drones and f-16 to controll west libya. Everone accepts that except a biased turd like you.
When GNA forces will try to advance would be wipe off by Egypt and UAE air force!…this base is locate in the west part!..by the way LNA have the control of all oil fields!
Not all the oilfields, thats a lie. Majority of them they do, but under control of tribes. They switch sides often, a few more losses for haftar and they`ll switch again.
Turkey brought air defense with them, thats why lna couldn’t use their crap drones from china anymore and gna became lord of the skies.
GNA and support from Turkey will advance towards to east.
Ow wow egyptian and usa airfoce, so scary. Definitely scared a nato airforce like that of Turkey which has one of the most experience fighters after 3 successful operation in syria, decimating pkk in Turkey and iraq.
Turkish navy will move towards to east also
If the uae and egypt has the balls and skills and would invest more, they would`ve used Watiya air base. SO why didnt they decimate gna so they couldnt take the air base, or the cities at the coast, or garyan?
GNA just take a isolated base west of Libya!…they have been unable to retake tarhuna and every day LNA bombs tripoli!..and you are claiming victory?…LNA have shot down more than 60 Turkish drone otherwise no LNA troops would be attacking Tripoli!
An airbase is supposed to be isolated you dumb fuck. You dont want it to be in reach of enemy ground troops easily. Zero evidence for 60 drones take down. Just go to libya.liveuamap.com and you can see lna losing town after town. Tarhuna is next and also the last foothold for haftar troops.
Haftar bombing civilians in Tripoli is a sign of weakness not that of strenght. If you loose major military bases and dozen of towns, you`re not winning.
Instead of showing how stupid you`re, just look at #lna #gna on twitter. You`re for real the only person, saying that losing so many places and a huge air base is winning.
Egypt and the UAE would not directly attack a Turkish base or Turkish interests. They saw the devastation caused by Turkish drones…Unlike Egypt and the UAE, Turkey does not purchase its air to ground and air to air missiles. It produces them and can survive a protracted war.
Rapid developments in Turkey.
Admiral Jihad Yaizji is said to have resigned.
A significant part of Turkey’s foreign policy and geopolitical strategy in Syria, Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean is influenced by that person, so – if his resignation is confirmed – it is estimated that radical changes in Turkey’s behavior will be observed both in Turkies internal and external affairs.
Vice Admiral Jihad Yayci, who was suddenly transferred by Turkish President Erdogan to the Turkish General Staff on Saturday, did not accept his new duties and resigned.
According to Hurriyet journalist Nedim Sener, Yaiji characteristically said that “My honor and pride were hurt.”
The transfer of the Turkish admiral in the middle of a pandemic with a presidential decree, raises questions about the expediency behind it.
Jihad Yayci’s professional career may play a catalytic role in the political-military balance in Turkey, and especially in Erdogan’s relationship with the Minister of National Defense, Hulusi Akar.