Haftar's forces continue to violate Libya cease-fire

The Libyan Army on Wednesday accused putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s militias of violating the cease-fire for the second time in three days.

"Our forces detected a breach of the cease-fire declaration at 00:06 (22:06 GMT on Tuesday evening), the second of its kind in less than 72 hours," military spokesman Col. Mohammad Qanunu said in a statement.

He said the militia fired six Grad rockets at the positions of the Libyan Army west of Sirte.

Qanunu explained that the Libyan Army is "ready and awaiting instructions from the supreme commander (Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj) to deal with and respond to the source of fire at the appropriate place and time."

On Aug. 27, the Libyan Army announced the first breach of the cease-fire by Haftar's militias, which fired more than a dozen Grad rockets at the army positions west of Sirte.

Meanwhile, the head of Libya's High State Council discussed cease-fire initiatives in Libya with Italy's foreign minister Tuesday.

A council statement said that during a meeting in Tripoli, Khalid al-Mishri discussed with Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio "developments in the political and military situation in the country."

The topic of "the proposed cease-fire initiatives and the chances of resuming the political dialogue (within the Libyan parties)" was discussed as well.

According to the statement, the meeting touched on "Italy's role in pushing the political process forward."

On Aug. 21, the Presidential Council of Libya's U.N.-recognized government and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, which supports Haftar, agreed to an immediate cease-fire. Their two statements shared common points, most notably the truce and holding presidential and parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, the European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell held a meeting with the speaker of Haftar’s self-designated Libyan parliament in al-Qubah.

“We discussed how to peacefully resolve conflict and resume political dialogue within the Berlin process. I welcome Speaker's commitment to implement ceasefire understanding & end oil blockade,” Borrell said on Twitter.

The EU official also met with Sarraj and discussed ways to enhance the political process, return to the 5+5 military committee talks and lift the oil blockade.

“EU strongly supports Berlin process, mediation efforts and de-escalation measures, including arms embargo – key elements to bring Libyan conflict to an end,” he said.

Borrell highlighted that Libya remains a top priority for the EU.

New mass grave found

Meanwhile, a new mass grave was found in the southwestern city of Tarhuna, which was recently liberated from Haftar’s militias, the Government of National Accord (GNA) said Wednesday.

“The grave contains the remains of an unidentified number of bodies,” Abdul Aziz al-Jaafari, a spokesman for General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons, told Anadolu Agency (AA).

He said two bodies had been dug up from the grave so far.

The Libyan government has discovered several mass graves in Tripoli and Tarhuna in the wake of Haftar’s defeat in his recent offensive on the capital Tripoli. On June 16, the GNA found 226 dead bodies in mass graves in Tarhuna and south of Tripoli.

Libyan authorities say that Haftar’s militias and allied mercenaries have committed several war crimes and crimes against humanity in the period between April 2019 and June 2020.