Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Legislation
  • War On Terror
  • EU Affairs
  • Elections
  • News Analysis

Fighting intensifies in Libya's Tripoli as army kills 10 Haftar militants in shelling

by DAILY SABAH WITH AGENCIES

ISTANBUL May 11, 2020 - 10:42 am GMT+3
Edited By Sinan Öztürk
Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli during shelling by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar's forces, May 9, 2020 (AFP Photo)
Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli during shelling by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar's forces, May 9, 2020 (AFP Photo)
by DAILY SABAH WITH AGENCIES May 11, 2020 10:42 am
Edited By Sinan Öztürk
RECOMMENDED
A voter casts her ballot for presidential and parliamentary elections at a polling station in a government school in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 14, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Millions vote in Türkiye's presidential, parliamentary elections

elections

Libya's internationally recognized government forces neutralized at least 10 members of putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar's militia in shelling Sunday, while the capital was shaken with a withering bombardment by the warlord’s forces.

The army destroyed four observation posts on the Mashru front in southern Tripoli, killing or wounding a total of 18 militia and mercenaries, the media office of the government-led Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) operation said in a statement.

Haftar’s forces bombarded the capital, threatening the main water supply in the capital, Reuters reported. The main water supplier to northwest Libya said armed men in the south had stormed one of its facilities, reducing supply.

"My father said we should be ready to leave at any moment ... the fighting last night was heavier than at any time before," said a resident of Abu Salim district, near a frontline.

"We would leave to survive, but where can we go? ... We will be on the street. It's hopeless," the resident added over the phone.

Haftar's forces have been trying to capture Tripoli for 13 months, but Turkish military aid this year for the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) has helped it regain some ground.

Haftar, backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, last week announced a new air campaign but most bombardment since then has been through artillery.

Last month pro-GNA forces recaptured a string of towns in the northwest of Haftar's position, reestablishing their control between Tripoli and the Tunisian border.

Tripoli residents described the bombardment as the worst so far after weeks of fighting as the GNA attempts to end Haftar's campaign to seize the capital and push his forces out of artillery range.

Mitiga International Airport, the only functioning airport in the Libyan capital, was targeted by rockets for a second day after shelling on Saturday destroyed fuel tanks and sprayed shrapnel across a passenger jet being readied for takeoff.

The U.N. Libya mission condemned what it called "indiscriminate attacks," which it said were mostly attributable to pro-Haftar forces. It said last month that the Haftar militia was responsible for four-fifths of civilian deaths in the first quarter of 2020.

Water pressure in Tripoli was already starting to decline on Sunday afternoon after the Great Man-Made River project, the main water utility, said one of its power stations in the south had been stormed by armed men.

Ahmed al-Deeb, head of its western region committee, said the men had switched off the electricity because of a shortage of cooking gas and a lack of cash in local banks, and that tribal elders were negotiating with them to restore power.

The state-run National Oil Corporation said last week it was carrying out work to supply cooking gas from the country's main Sharara oil field.

On Saturday, at least six civilians were killed when Haftar's militia launched rocket attacks on Mitiga International Airport in the capital.

The attacks came hours after the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Tripoli, saying they "may amount to war crimes."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the Haftar attacks, saying that they amount to war crimes, adding that Haftar elements will be considered legitimate targets if they continue to threaten Turkey's interests in the country.

"On this occasion, we reiterate that if our interests are targeted with our representative offices in Libya, we will consider Haftar elements as a legitimate target," it said.

"It is unacceptable for the United Nations to remain immobile any longer in the face of this brutality," the statement added, stressing that the international community has the responsibility to stop Haftar from killing women, children and the elderly during the holy month of Ramadan and amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Haftar, the leader of illegal armed forces in eastern Libya, has intensified attacks on civilians since the beginning of May as the Libyan army recently gained an advantage and inflicted severe losses on his militants.

The government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence. It launched Operation Peace Storm on March 26 to counter attacks on the capital.

Following the ouster of late ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya's government was founded in 2015 under a U.N.-led political deal.

RECOMMENDED
A voter casts her ballot for presidential and parliamentary elections at a polling station in a government school in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 14, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Millions vote in Türkiye's presidential, parliamentary elections

elections
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: May 11, 2020 12:26 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    libyan civil war tripoli khalifa haftar government of national accord
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Istanbul hosts 32nd Bosporus Cross-Continental Swimming Race
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021