“Fajr Libya announces that it totally controls Tripoli international airport,” a statement shown on screen on An-Nabaa television, regarded as close to the Islamists, quoted the fighters in the Fajr Libya (Libyan Dawn) coalition as saying.
The strategic site 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the Libyan capital, has been shut since July 13 amid skirmishes between the Islamists and nationalist fighters from Zintan west of Tripoli, who had held the airport since the 2011 fall of long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
Death toll
Meanwhile, two airstrikes targeting the Islamist militia positions in Tripoli killed 15 fighters and wounded 30, the Associated Press reported a senior Islamist militia leader and a militia spokesman as saying.The militia leader said the warplanes targeted the Interior Ministry and several militia positions, setting fire to a warehouse. He said two sons of the head of the military council of Misrata militias, Ibrahim Bin Rajab, were among the wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to speak to journalists.
Mohammed al-Gharyani, the militia spokesman, said more than 30 fighters were wounded in the airstrikes but that the militia had not abandoned its positions, including the Interior Ministry, the army headquarters and the military police headquarters.
Al-Gharyani said militia fighters from other areas and towns were joining the Misrata forces and “our response will be severe.”
Khalifa Haftar’s forces
The faction under attack, Operation Dawn mainly from the town of Misrata, said the raids had killed 10 people and wounded dozens.
Haftar launched a campaign against Islamists in the eastern city of Benghazi in May. He threw his weight behind fighters from the western region of Zintan who are battling militia from the town of Misrata, east of Tripoli.............................http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/08/23/Libyan-militias-say-they-have-taken-Tripoli-airport.html
23/8/14
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Related:
Libyan airspace closed following clashes
Unidentified war planes, explosions heard in Libyan capital
Egypt's Sisi calls on international community to act on Libya (press conference in Cairo with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi)
Oil depot catches fire as Libya battles rage. (Rocket strikes main fuel depot in Libyan capital)
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Ägypten offenbar für Angriff auf Islamisten in Tripolis verantwortlich...
ReplyDeleteDiplomaten in Washington sind von ihren Partnern überrumpelt: Ägypten und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate sollen Stellungen von Islamisten in Libyen angegriffen haben.
Kampfflugzeuge über Tripolis haben in den vergangenen Tagen für Aufsehen in Libyen gesorgt. Nun sind die Verantwortlichen offensichtlich identifiziert: Nach Angaben der New York Times stecken Ägypten und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate hinter den Angriffen auf Stellungen der islamistischen Fajr-Libya-Brigaden. Die Zeitung beruft sich auf vier Mitarbeiter der US-Regierung.
Zweimal hätten demnach Flugzeuge in der vergangenen Woche Stellungen der Islamisten mit Raketen beschossen – ohne dass die USA Kenntnis davon hatten. Für die US-Regierung kommt dieser Vorstoß überraschend: Ägypten und die Emirate gelten als enge Verbündete. In diesem Fall jedoch sei die Obama-Regierung weder informiert noch um ihre Zustimmung gebeten worden, heißt es in dem Bericht weiter..............................http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-08/libyen-tripolis-aegypten-vereinte-arabische-emirate-angriffe
25/8/14
Libya's neighbors agreed on Monday not to intervene in Libyan affairs to end chaos and clashes in the oil producer, calling instead for a national dialogue, according to the final communique after a foreign ministers' meeting in Egypt...
ReplyDelete"This joint initiative of the neighboring countries is based on the main principles of ... non-intervention in Libya's domestic affairs," the statement read.
Libya's ambassador to Cairo had earlier demanded the international community to help protect oilfields, airports and other state assets.
REUTERS
http://www.todayonline.com/world/libyas-neighbors-agree-not-intervene-libyan-affairs-call-dialogue
25/8/14