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Khalifa Hafter, the ‘strong man’ of Libya trying to take Tripoli, Hafter, the powerful lord of war that besieges Tripoli, The offensive of the rebel general Hafter puts Libya on the brink of an open war
libyan forces loyal to commander with headquarters in the east, Khalifa Hafter, have assured this Monday that have taken control of the strategic coastal city of Sirte in a fast-forward preceded by air attacks. This advance is a significant milestone for the marshal, who since April has launched a military offensive in the capital,Tripoli, the seat of Government of National Agreement (GNA), Libya’s internationally recognized.
Sirte is located in the centre of the mediterranean coast of Libya, and until now has been controlled by forces aligned with GNA from which they expelled the Islamic State of the city with the help of us airstrikes at the end of 2016. The self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) Haftar has reported that they have taken areas around Sirte, including the air base of al-Qardabiya, before moving towards the center of the city.
“The commander decided a pre-emptive attack is well planned and in less than three hours we were in the heart of Sirte,” said Ahmed al-Mismari, spokesman of the LNA. “It was an operation, sudden and quick,” added the post, which has added that the breakthrough has been preceded by several hours of air strikes. And on the other hand, a military source LNA has declared that the forces of the city of Misrata, from where he directed the campaign against the Islamic State and is a key source of military power to the GNA, have been removed.
“we Can see convoys of LNA within the city of Sirte. Now control large parts of the city. We also heard shots,” said a resident in the center of the city of Sirte to Reutes. The forces of the GNA have not reacted immediately to the declaration of the forces of Hafter, who have made this progress when Turkey prepares to send military advisers and experts to Libya to help prop up the GNA.
The LNA of Haftar, who has received material support and military of countries such as United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt, according to experts and diplomats of the UN, has generated in recent weeks an escalation of the fighting, shelling and air attacks around Tripoli. Saturday night, a military school was reached in the capital and killed at least 30 people, a day after the only airport in operation in Tripoli to face your last shutdown due to the bombings and the launching of rockets.
Sirte, the birthplace of former leader libyan Muammar Gaddafi, it was assumed by the Islamic State at the beginning of 2015, making it the most important base for jihadist group outside of the middle East. The city is just west of crescent oil company of Libya, a strip of coast along which there are several terminals in key oil export. The forces of Haftar seized the ports of oil in 2016.
