In Tripoli, Commander of the Joint Operations Room in the western region, Major General Osama Joueili has confirmed that Mitiga Airport was attacked on Tuesday, October 22nd at 2.15 am by high-explosive bombs.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) carried out an airstrike on Mitiga airbase destroying ammunition depots, where a video footage showed the intensity of the explosion at the base following the strike.
In Zintan, six medical workers abducted by a local armed group in Zintan, Libya, were freed on October 23, 2019, after 12 days of captivity, Human Rights Watch said on October 23.
On the international level, US Deputy Chief of Mission Joshua Harris has reiterated that his country supports ending Tripoli fighting and reaching a political solution under the auspices of the UN.
Turkish ambassador to Tunisia has denied claims by Khalifa Haftar’s militia outlets regarding “Turkey’s transfer of terrorist fighters from Syria to Libya.”
TRIPOLI
- the spokesman for the Libyan Army Mohammed Gununu said on October 27 that the Volcano of Rage Operation forces under the command of the Presidential Council’s government captured eight fighters from Khalifa Haftar’s forces on Khallatat frontline in southern Tripoli. Gununu said the fighters were caught while trying to advance on positions had been seized by the Libyan Army for days. Meanwhile, the commander of Tripoli Airport frontline Abdelsalam Zubi said the Libyan Army seized vast areas in Al-Tawaisha near the Tripoli International Airport [Libya Observer, 27.10.2019];
- the Director of the Ambulance Service Office of Tripoli International Airport, Abdul Majid Al-Ferjani, was killed by shrapnel in an attack on Khallet Al-Furjan area, by Haftar’s forces. “Haftar’s forces continue to target medical teams through indiscriminate shelling in different areas of Tripoli,” the Media Office of the Volcano of Rage Operation has said. The UN mission in Libya has condemned the targeting of field hospitals, refusing the allegations that it had gave coordinates of field hospitals to Haftar’s forces [Libya Observer, 27.10.2019];
- new airstrikes by Khalifa Haftar’s forces have targeted a civilian residential neighborhood in Al-Asfah street in Al-Ramla near Tripoli Airport Road in the Libyan capital, killing three civilians and injuring eight others, sources from the Health Ministry of the Presidential Council’s government confirmed on October 23. The sources indicated that the injured civilians had been sent to a field hospital in Al-Sawani area to get first aid medications before being sent to in-capital hospitals [Libya Observer, 23.10.2019];
- Commander of the Joint Operations Room in the western region, Major General Osama Joueili has confirmed that Mitiga Airport was attacked on Tuesday, October 22nd at 2.15 am by high-explosive bombs. “Investigations show that the bombs used in the air raid were US-made and the warplane that carried out the attack is likely to be F-16 fighter jet,” Joueili said in a statement issued by the Joint Operations Room on October 22 night [Libya Observer, 23.10.2019];
- the Libyan National Army (LNA) carried out an airstrike on Mitiga airbase destroying ammunition depots, where a video footage showed the intensity of the explosion at the base following the strike. LNA carried out an air strike on weapon depots and facilities in the military section of Mitiga airport, which were used by armed groups to store equipment and missiles of Turkish drones, said the Military Information Division of LNA. The strike was a result of hard work of intelligence services and reconnaissance of LNA, it pointed out [Address Libya, 23.10.2019];
- the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced that its forces have advanced in South Tripoli and taken control over Azizia town, 40 km south of the capital Tripoli. Media Center of LNA’s Dignity Operations Room issued a statement stating that the forces took control of Az-Zahraa Brigade after liberating Azizia, following heavy clashes in the region [Address Libya, 22.10.2019];
- mortar shelling by Khalifa Haftar’s forces on Salah al-Deen buildings has killed two girls and injured a third child – all siblings – identical sources reported on October 22. The sources added that Haftar’s forces shelling directly hit the family house in Salah al-Deen, killing four-year-old Rawan and eight-year-old Jumana and inuring their brother Natheer with serious head injury, besides wounding the father and mother [Libya Observer, 22.10.2019].
ZINTAN
- six medical workers abducted by a local armed group in Zintan, Libya, were freed on October 23, 2019, after 12 days of captivity, Human Rights Watch said on October 23. “The Zintan authorities should ensure that the captors are held to account.” Human Rights Watch indicated. The six medical workers were part of a larger humanitarian convoy passing through the Nafussa mountains on their way to the town of Ghadames, where they were to provide free medical care, their family members told Human Rights Watch [Libyan Express, 23.10.2019].
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- US Deputy Chief of Mission Joshua Harris has reiterated that his country supports ending Tripoli fighting and reaching a political solution under the auspices of the UN as well as for bringing to justice the ones who attacked US consulate in Benghazi. Harris traveled to Benina, Libya for consultations with a range of Libyan figures on efforts to end the fighting around Tripoli and seek justice for U.S. victims of the September 11, 2012 attack against U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, the US embassy said, adding that this was the first such visit to Benina since the United States suspended diplomatic operations in Libya in 2014 [Libya Observer, 27.10.2019];
- US Africa Command Director of Public Affairs Colonel Chris Karns said four airstrikes this year had killed 25% of the ISIS terrorists remaining in Libya, “where ISIS forces had been gathering in camps and recruiting new fighters.” In an interview with Voice of America, Karns said the US wanted to make sure that threat did not grow, adding that the US would continue to monitor the situation to prevent Libya from becoming a safe haven for terrorists [Libya Observer, 26.10.2019];
- US Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland renewed his country’s support to a political solution to the conflict in Libya through the efforts of the UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame. Norland reiterated to the Government of National Accord through the Minister of Local Government, Milad Taher, during their meeting in Tunis, that the United States is making significant efforts, in order to achieve a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis. The two sides also discussed USAID assistance to the efforts of the Ministry of Local Government [Libya Observer, 26.10.2019];
- the peaceful resolution of the Libyan civil war free of any foreign intervention is a priority for Tunisia, outgoing Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said. Chahed made this known to Sputnik in an interview on October 24 on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa forum in the Black Sea port city of Sochi [Address Libya, 24.10.2019];
- Turkish ambassador to Tunisia has denied claims by Khalifa Haftar’s militia outlets regarding “Turkey’s transfer of terrorist fighters from Syria to Libya.” The Turkish ambassador told the Tunisian Agence Tunis Afrique Presse that his country is among the countries fighting in the frontlines in the war against ISIS [Libya Observer, 21.10.2019].
