Libyan Forces Advance on Haftar Rebels

Reuters
2020/4/19 19:43:40

A fighter of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fires at Libyan National Army (LNA) during clashes in Ain-Zara frontline in Tripoli, Libya, on March 13, 2020. (Photo by Amru Salahuddien/Xinhua)

Forces aligned with Libya's internationally recognized government said they had advanced on Saturday on Tarhouna, a key support base for their eastern-based rival Khalifa Haftar.

The advance comes days after forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) had pushed back Haftar's allies along the coast west of the capital, marking a possible turning point in their attempt to fend off a year-long offensive by Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA).

Tarhouna, about 65 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tripoli, has been a crucial asset for the LNA, providing local manpower for a campaign that has leaned heavily on air support supplied by the United Arab Emirates as well as Russian military contractors.

GNA's attempts to swing Tarhouna to its side have failed. The GNA has depended on military support including drone strikes provided by Turkey.

One witness from Tarhouna said residents had heard loud blasts from Saturday morning, followed by the sound of intensive clashes in an outlying area of the town that continued for up to six hours.

LNA officials told Reuters the GNA forces had failed to enter the town and that the offensive, the first since Haftar launched his military bid for Tripoli in early April 2019, had been repelled. They also said they had shot down a drone.

LNA forces control eastern and southern Libya and have been positioned around the outskirts of Tripoli for a year. The capital has seen heavy bombardment in recent days, and shelling continued on Saturday, wounding at least 10 civilians, local medics said.

The GNA has also been trying to capture al-Watiya airbase, about 125 kilometers southwest of Tripoli and the LNA's other strategic foothold in Tripoli.