In Tripoli, one man has been killed and two of his sons were injured in heavy artillery shelling on Ain Zara’s Kehaili area in southern Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
The Islamist leader Ziyad Belaam was seriously wounded after participating in the clashes within the ranks of the forces of the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army south of Tripoli.
On the international level, the Embassies of Algeria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States along with the Delegation of the European Union and the Governments of Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates call on all parties in the Libya conflict to declare an immediate, humanitarian cessation of hostilities.
TRIPOLI
- one man has been killed and two of his sons were injured in heavy artillery shelling on Ain Zara’s Kehaili area in southern Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar’s forces, just hours after announcing accepting a humanitarian halt of hostilities to allow authorities to implement preventive measures against Coronavirus outbreak in the country [Libya Observer, 22.03.2020];
- a woman and a child were injured when a shell fired by Haftar’s militias hit their home in the old city of Tripoli (Madina) on March 20 night. The bombardment has caused great material losses locals said, confirming that at least seven houses were damaged in the attack [Libya Observer, 21.03.2020];
- forces of Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) neutralized 25 militia members loyal to General Khalifa Haftar early on March 20 during clashes in the capital, Anadolu reports. Tripoli-based Febrayer TV reported that troops taking part in the GNA’s Volcano of Rage Operation and the militias clashed in the Ain Zara region south of Tripoli [Marsad, 20.03.2020];
- the Islamist leader Ziyad Belaam was seriously wounded after participating in the clashes within the ranks of the forces of the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army south of Tripoli. After his injury, Belaam was transferred to a hospital in Tripoli with a number of wounded members of the GNA forces for receiving treatment there [Address Libya, 19.03.2020];
- the Libyan National Army reconnaissance units were able to locate operatives of the extremist “Benghazi Defense Brigades” in the Ain Zara south of Tripoli, fighting for the Tripoli-based “Government of National Accord.” The LNA 155 artillery units were able to “eliminate the targeted operatives, the most prominent of which was the fugitive terrorist Ziyad Balaam, a leader of the Ansar al-Sharia group,” LNA media said [Address Libya, 19.03.2020];
- Khalifa Haftar’s forces have continued for the second consecutive day their attempts to advance on several frontlines in southern Tripoli, especially Ain Zara, where heavy clashes broke out after very violent fighting on March 18. Sources from Volcano of Rage Operation said they had repelled attacks by Haftar’s forces on Ain Zara frontline under heavy artillery shelling, saying most Haftar’s fighters were mercenaries [Libya Observer, 19.03.2020];
- a woman was killed and her daughter and niece were injured when their car was hit by a missile fired by Haftar’s militia yesterday evening, on Bab Bin Ghashir area in Tripoli, the media department of the Volcano of Rage Operation has confirmed [Libya Observer, 19.03.2020];
- heavy clashes broke out on March 18 on Tripoli frontlines as Khalifa Haftar’s forces attacked Salah al-Deen, Ain Zara and Airport Road axes achieving brief advances in the early morning. However, Libyan Army forces under the command of the Government of National Accord managed, after receiving military reinforcements, to repel the attacks and regain all lost positions, pushing Haftar’s forces away. The spokesman for the Libyan Army Mohammed Gununu said they had tackled repeated violations of ceasefire by Haftar’s forces on Ain Zara, reiterating that the Libyan Army is committed to the truce [Libya Observer, 18.03.2020].
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- the Secretary General General the UN Antonio Guterres on March 21 welcomed positive responses from Libya’s warring parties to calls for a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow authorities to respond to the public health challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic [Libyan Express, 22.03.2020];
- the Italian Embassy in Tripoli has welcomed the willingness of the Government of National Accord to observe a humanitarian truce in Tripoli in order to address the challenge of the coronavirus epidemic [Libya Observer, 21.03.2020];
- the United States said in a statement on March 21 that it joins the UN Support Mission in Libya in welcoming the decision of Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord Fayez al-Sarraj to endorse an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities to allow local authorities to come together in response to the unprecedented public health challenge posed by COVID-19 [Libyan Express, 21.03.2020];
- the Embassies of Algeria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States along with the Delegation of the European Union and the Governments of Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates call on all parties in the Libya conflict to declare an immediate, humanitarian cessation of hostilities as well as a halt to the continuing transfer of all military equipment and personnel into Libya in order to allow local authorities to respond to the unprecedented public health challenge posed by COVID-19 [Libya Herald, 17.03.2020].
