In an exclusive statement to the Huffington Post Arabi, the sources explained that these forces are currently stationed in Benina Air Base, east of Benghazi, the most important military base for troops loyal to Haftar. Neither the number nor the size of the forces is known.
The same sources said that a common operations room has been set up in order to coordinate between the France’s and Haftar’s forces under the command of Colonel Salim Al-Abdali.
Events escalated in Libya recently as a result of the refusal by the political parties to reach an agreement on the formation of a national unity government. Upon his return from the United Arab Emirates, Haftar announced the enhancement of military operations.
He went on to announce, on Sunday, his seizure of Ajdabia, in the east of the country, according to statements attributed to the spokesperson in the name of Ajdabia Operations Room Akram Buhliqah, in addition to seizing control of the Al-Muraisah Port.
Haftar’s troops waged a military operation in Benghazi, 1,000 kilometers to the east of Libya, last Saturday in which 19 were killed over two days.
Yet, the troops commanded by Haftar announced on Sunday that they had advanced and that they managed to regain control over Al-Muraisah Port to the west of the city as well as over Al-Hawari Hospital to the south.
In a video distributed by the Information Office of Libyan Armed Forces yesterday, Haftar said: “Victory is a precious thing, and there is nothing more precious than victory itself. Therefore, we must maintain this victory.”
The internationally recognized Libyan parliament concluded on Monday its deliberation over the proposed national unity government’s program and the profiles of its ministers.
Source: Websites - almanar.com.lb
24/2/16
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Islamic State (IS) group in Libya briefly took over the security headquarters in the western city of Sabratha, killing and beheading 12 security officers before being driven out early Wednesday morning, two city security officials said...
ReplyDeleteThe incident highlighted the enduring presence and unpredictable striking power of the local IS group militants in this strategic city which serves as a hub for migrants heading to Europe.
Taher al-Gharabili, head of Sabratha Military Council, told The Associated Press that the gunmen "exploited a security vacuum" by deploying in the city center as the military was occupied conducting raids elsewhere.
A second security official said that the militants used the headless bodies of the officers they killed to block the roads leading to the security headquarters — which they occupied for about three hours. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said the total number of officers killed in the occupation and ensuing clashes reached 19.
Sabratha has become the latest Libyan power center for the local IS group. Last week, U.S. airstrikes killed dozens of suspected militants in the city along with two Serbian hostages kidnapped last year....AP...http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/188408.aspx
French special forces and intelligence commandos are engaged in covert operations against Islamic State militants in Libya in conjunction with the United States and Britain, the French newspaper Le Monde reported on Wednesday...
ReplyDeleteIt said President Francois Hollande had authorized "unofficial military action" by both an elite armed forces unit and the covert action service of the DGSE intelligence agency in the conflict-ridden North African state, which has two rival governments and largely ungoverned desert spaces.
What Le Monde called "France's secret war in Libya" involved occasional targeted strikes against leaders of the ultra-radical Islamist group, prepared by discreet action on the ground, to try to slow its growth in Libya.
The defense ministry declined comment on the substance of Le Monde's story but a source close to Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he had ordered an investigation into "breaches of national defense secrecy" to identify the sources of the report.....reuters.com
24/2/16