Libyan army condemns Turkish aircraft attacks in Tripoli

CAIRO - 5 June 2019: Turkish planes targeted several areas in Tripoli, Libya such as Qasr bin Ghashir, Khallet al-Furjan and Wadi al-Rabea, according to a statement issued by Libya's media office Monday.

The statement added that Turkey is intervening directly to support the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group despite the Security Council's imposition to ban arms in Libya.

Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesperson Ahmed el-Mesmary announced during a Monday press conference that the Libyan armed forces have carried out during the past 48 hours important military operations in Tripoli and its environs.

He added that the Libyan National Army (LNA) killed 31 terrorists Sunday as it clashed with terrorist groups at the outskirts of Tripoli.

The spokesperson added that the army detained dozens of terror elements, destroyed a large number of armored vehicles and retrieved 25 vehicles.

“The terrorists focused their counter attacks on the area of Tripoli International Airport, in addition to the eastern and southern parts of the city,” he said.

Mesmary described the army’s way in dealing with the attacks as “professional and well-managed,” adding that the Libyan air forces targeted different areas.

He further explained that the army has monitored moves of the IS terrorist group in different locations, adding “they [IS elements] want to send a message, to both the Libyan people and leadership, that they are still capable of executing operations but the truth is that they suffer a state of depression after huge losses.”

“The terror groups are now trying to spread rumors…pushed by the losses they encountered,” Mesmary said. He noted that the Libyan army assigns border patrols to curb the terrorist group’s activities.

In May, Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar accused some parties, including United Nations special envoy Ghassan Salame, of seeking to divide Libya, according to the Arabic-speaking Sky News channel. Haftar pledged that Libya will not be divided as long as he lives.

Haftar said Salame had changed; he was no longer impartial. “He keeps saying irresponsible things,” Haftar said. “He used to be an honest and impartial mediator; he has now taken sides.”