The Libyan army will not allow Haftar’s forces to launch another offensive, says Minister of Defense
The Libyan government will not allow forces loyal to Putist general Khalifa Haftar to wreak havoc in the country as they did in April 2019, the defense minister said on Friday.
Minister Salahaddin Namroush told al-Ahrar TV that the UN-recognized Government for National Agreement (GNA) has respected the terms of the ceasefire, but Haftar’s forces have violated it several times.
Namroush’s comments came shortly after Haftar threatened to attack Turkish troops in the country if they continue to support GNA’s forces in the country.
“We will not let them repeat what they did on April 4, 2019,” Namroush said, referring to when Haftar launched an offensive to capture the capital Tripoli from GNA.
He also noted that the troops have been waiting for instructions from Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj to respond to Haftar’s violations.
Namroush condemned Haftar’s forces for committing crimes against humanity in Tarhuna and said they could not accept any attempt to conceal his crimes.
The defense minister also said they support a political solution and will not abandon an inch of territory in Libya.
Haftar threatened on Thursday to use force against Turkish troops if Ankara does not stop its support for the legitimate government in the war-torn North African country.
Haftar’s comments came in response to the Turkish parliament’s decision to extend an 18-month law allowing the deployment of troops to Libya. Turkey’s military assistance to Tripoli – based GNA – including advisers, equipment and intelligence – helped stop Haftar’s annual attacks on the capital.
In August, Turkish military advisers and staff arrived at the Advisory Command for Defense Security Cooperation and Training Assistance set up as part of a Memorandum of Understanding between Turkey and Libya. They provided training and logistical assistance in cooperation with Qatar to re-establish a regular military force in Libya.
The Libyan army had been an informal amalgamation of militias, tribal soldiers and clans. The process of Turkey and Qatar standardized training and recruitment to make it an official combat force.
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