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On May 6th, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar called on the Libyan National Army (LNA) to fighter harder during the month of Ramadan. His statement was released by the LNA Spokesperson Maj.Gen. Ahmed Almismari in a video published on Facebook, with an English dub.
A message from General commander Marshal Haftar to the western region operation commander …read by Maj.Gen. Ahmed Almesmari
Posted by الناطق الرسمي باسم القيادة العامة للقوات المسلحة العربية الليبية on Sunday, May 5, 2019
“Officers and soldiers in our armed forces and the auxiliary forces, I salute you in this glorious days and urge you with your strength and determination to teach the enemy a greater and bigger lesson than the previous ones, as we’ve always known you to do, till we uproot it from our beloved land,” Haftar said in an audiotape played by Almismari.
Haftar made no mention of the UN Support Mission in Libya’s call for a week-long humanitarian truce.
“The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) congratulates all Libyans on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan. UNSMIL calls for an extendable one-week humanitarian truce starting at four in the morning of the first of Ramadan, 06 May, in accordance with the spirit of this month as well as the Human Rights Convention, during which all parties pledge to halt all forms of military operations, including reconnaissance, shelling, sniper operations, and mobilization of forces.
UNSMIL calls on all parties to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to ensure the freedom of movement for civilians during this truce. 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.”
The statement was released on May 5th, just hours before Haftar’s call for ramping up the offensive.
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At the ground level, on May 5th, it appeared that there was a sort of calm on the frontlines. At Yarmouk a photograph was published showing calmness.
Yarmouk frontline, south of Tripoli. Yesterday afternoon. #Libya pic.twitter.com/2W8xcDL0uZ
— francesca mannocchi (@mannocchia) May 5, 2019
Despite that, clashes on the Wadi Rabiyah – Ayn Zarag direction continued.
لقطات خاصة من محور #وادي_الربيع – #عين_زارة#طرابلس #ليبيا #218NEWS pic.twitter.com/sbtTjEeMmp
— 218 News (@218news) May 5, 2019
The Government of National Accord (GNA) air force targeted targets in Sadi Sayeh south of Tripoli, leaving two children dead.
#عاجل | طيران الكلية الجوية بمصراتة التابع لحكومة الوفاق يستهدف منطقة سيدي السايح جنوب طرابلس بغارتين تسببت في مقتل طفلين#قناة_ليبيا
— قناة ليبيا (@LibyasChannel) May 5, 2019
The GNA reportedly retook the Tueisha area, while heavy clashes continued at Qasr Bin Ghazir.
#ليبيا | أبان مصدر عسكري لبانوراما، أن الجيش سيطر بالكامل على منطقة #الطويشة، مضيفا أن محور #قصر_بن_غشير يشهد اشتباكات بين قوات الجيش وقوات #حفتر. كما استهدف #سلاح_الجو التابع للجيش تمركزا لقوات حفتر في #بئر_العالم، ما أدى إلى تدمير #مخزن للذخيرة وإصابات في الاليات التابعة لحفتر. pic.twitter.com/43H5daIcsZ
— ليبيا بانوراما (@lpc_ly) May 5, 2019
Violent clashes with various heavy and medium weapons between the LNA and GNA in Twaisha axes, behind Tripoli International Airport, Ayn Zara and Zabarneh were also on-going.
طرابلس
اشتباكات عنيفة بمختلف الاسلحة الثقيلة والمتوسطة بين الوحدات العسكرية المسلحة والمليشيات الاجرامية في محاور الطويشة خلف مطار طرابلس العالمي وعين زارة والزطارنة””” pic.twitter.com/DEf6oEEtQ6
— Libyan National Army (@DavidBiutitaman) May 6, 2019
GNA’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj is in Rome to visit Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and discuss the situation in Libya. According to Conte, Haftar’s attack on Tripoli revitalized terrorism, rather than fight against it.
#GNA‘s leader #Serraj today in #Rome to meet #Italy‘s PM #Conte.#Libya
— Fabrizio (@FChev22) May 6, 2019
According to the World Health Organization, at least 392 people died in the clashes, and 1936 were wounded, as of May 2nd.
The number of people wounded in the #Tripoli crisis is nearing 2000. The toll as of May 2 is 392 dead and 1936 wounded, with an estimated 50 000 people displaced. @OCHA_Libya @WHOEMRO
— World Health Organization in Libya (@WHOLIBYA) May 2, 2019
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Considering the usually shambolic nature of most Arab armies I wouldn’t be surprised if this battle was more a series of skirmishes, where ambushes, checkpoints and hit and run attacks are more the norm then actual conventional battles. I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody on either side knew where the frontline was exactly.
Haftar should attack Zawia with enough forces that they would need to seriously reinforce it and then cut off the town. There are a few villages around where he can do that.
Personally I think that Haftar’s army is as shambolic as that of the GNA, just a little less so. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t have enough forces to do that. Otherwise he would have unleashed that overwhelming force earlier. I suspect that maybe Haftar overplayed his hand a little and stoked up the hornet’s nest a little too soon. Maybe he underestimated the resistance that the GNA could put up.
Or maybe he is just at the end of a very long supply line, whereas the GNA fights close to home. This was actually what happened in the desert war during WW2. One side would advance to the limits of what his logistics would allow for, then other side’s logistics would become so short again that it allowed them to bring in reinforcements and overwhelm the other side again. And back and forth it went. [m
At least he has real support and not just from people who cheer the people smuggling. Just the support of Egypt alone should be enough to give him the win in the long run.
“UNSMIL calls on all parties to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to ensure the freedom of movement for civilians during this truce.” This is PC talk for ‘deliver more inflatable boats to the people smugglers’. Go Haftar!!!!
The Western Headchopping Mercenaries are NO MUSLIMS…they will probably be Worshipping the Devil instead of participating in the Ramadan….
Years ago the gna fought the democratically elected government & kicked them out of Tripoli. This government chose to relocate to Benghazi but because of extremist militias there also they had to move to Tobruk. Gen. Haftar organised his militia/army to retake Benghazi followed by Derna etc. Now they are coming back to secure Tripoli. Am I right here? Furthermore, gna being a UN puppet does not have the best interest of the people at heart, they will eventually implement a central banking system like the federal reserve & turn Libya into an indebted society, great for zionist bankers who get to create money from nothing before slapping interest on it.
that is left to be seen.
So according to Conte, an attack on terrorists revitalizes them – silly me, I thought it was to neutralize them. One little nagging question… How is it that there are all these terrorists to be revitalized in Tripoli under the watch of the GNA?