Pro-Haftar forces target parliament in Libyan capital

Monitoring Desk

TRIPOLI: Forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar on Friday carried out airstrikes on several positions, including the parliament building, in capital Tripoli, where Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) is based.

“The airstrikes targeted the Rixos building in central Tripoli, which houses the GNA-affiliated House of Representatives,” a local source told Anadolu Agency.

No casualties have yet been reported as a result of the airstrikes.

In a subsequent statement, the GNA’s Interior Ministry condemned the attack, saying it should be “added to the long list of war crimes perpetrated by Haftar’s forces”.

It went on to urge the international community to “shoulder its responsibility for this aggression against Libya’s capital, which threatens the safety and security of civilians”.

On April 4, Haftar, who is affiliated with a rival government based in eastern Libya, launched a wide-ranging campaign to capture Tripoli.

After several weeks of fighting on Tripoli’s outskirts, however, Haftar’s campaign has thus far failed to achieve its primary objective.

Nevertheless, Haftar’s forces remain deployed in several areas around the capital. Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a bloody NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.

The oil-rich country has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition. (AA)