TRIPOLI: The armed forces of Libya’s internationally-recognized government are on alert for a “possible attack” near the border with Tunisia and Algeria by forces loyal to the divided country’s rival eastern administration, local media reported Thursday.
“Salahuddin Al-Namroush, the deputy chief of staff, has instructed army units to be on high alert and ready to repel any possible attack,” a military source told the Libya Al-Ahrar television channel.
Energy-rich Libya has been wracked by unrest since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising.
It is split between the UN-recognized government in the capital Tripoli in the west and a rival administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar that rules from Benghazi and Tobruk in the east.
In 2019-2020, Haftar’s forces tried to seize Tripoli but failed, despite backing from Egypt, Russia and others including some Western powers.
Libya Al-Ahrar, a privately-owned channel, reported Wednesday that forces affiliated with Haftar were “heading toward southwest Libya,” in an area controlled by Tripoli authorities, without providing further details.
Forces led by the strongman’s youngest son, General Saddam Haftar, on Tuesday said they were deploying “patrols ... to monitor the border strip with neighboring countries” to enhance “national security and stability in these strategic areas.”
According to a statement posted on Facebook, the units, under the “direct supervision” of Saddam Haftar, are heading “toward the towns and areas of southwest Libya.”
Libya government forces brace for ‘possible attack’ by rivals: local media
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Libya government forces brace for ‘possible attack’ by rivals: local media
- Salahuddin Al-Namroush, the deputy chief of staff, has instructed army units to be on high alert and ready to repel any possible attack
- Energy-rich Libya has been wracked by unrest since the 2011
