In Sirte, spokesman for the Protection Force of Sirte, Taha Hadid has confirmed that three of their forces were killed while another four were injured in an airstrike south of Sirte.
In Tarhuna, “Tarhuna Protection Force” of the Libyan Army has announced the start of an operation to liberate the city from what it said a group of corrupts who took the city as a hostage, killed its free people, and forcibly displaced them from their homes.
In Tripoli, the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has secured more advances towards the heart of Tripoli.
On the international level, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is ready to increase military support to Libya if necessary, saying Turkey is studying marine, land, and air options for such support.
CENTRAL AND WESTERN LIBYA
- cities of the western and central regions of Libya have announced -in alignment with Misrata’s step- the general mobilization of forces to end the battle against Haftar. In separate statements, on December 16, civil, security, and military components of the cities of Zliten, Khoms, Msallata, Zawiya, Zintan, Kabao, Rahaibat, and Jamil have declared the state of high alert and full mobilization of troops, vowing to mobilize all its capabilities to launch a major military operation to defeat Haftar’s aggression, in order to pave the way for a civil state that would ensure the peaceful transfer of power. They stressed the step comes in response to the nation’s call to repel the brutal force that destabilized the homeland, spilled blood, and squandered its resources [Libya Observer, 17.12.2019].
MSALLATA – MISRATA – TRIPOLI – ZLITEN
- Khalifa Haftar’s warplanes and foreign aircraft backing up his forces have intensified airstrikes on Tripoli and other cities over the last few days in what sources close to the operations room of Volcano of Rage Operation as an attempt by Haftar’s forces and his backers to enter Tripoli before the MoU between Libya and Turkey in security and military cooperation takes effect. Haftar and his supporters’ aircraft struck over the last days Tripoli, Misrata, Zliten and Msallata whose mayor Hisham Swidan said foreign warplanes backing up Haftar’s forces targeted on December 21 dawn Tarhuna-Msallata road, killing three young men [Libya Observer, 21.12.2019].
SIRTE
- spokesman for the Protection Force of Sirte, Taha Hadid has confirmed that three of their forces were killed while another four were injured in an airstrike south of Sirte. Hadid explained in a press statement that the airstrike conducted by Haftar’s air force have targeted some of their forces who were on a routine patrol south of Sirte to pursue the remnants of ISIS [Libya Observer, 21.12.2019];
- spokesperson for the Sirte Protection Force, Taha Hadid, has confirmed that one person was killed and three others wounded in an air strike conducted by Haftar’s forces on a security patrol west of Sirte. Hadid clarified that the attack came in conjunction with the celebration of the third anniversary of the liberation of Sirte from the ISIS group by of Al-Bunyan al-Marsous forces. Haftar’s aircraft carried out other raids on December 17, targeting sites in Zliten and Tripoli, but no damage was reported [Libya Observer, 18.12.2019].
TARHUNA
- Tarhuna Protection Force of the Libyan Army has announced the start of an operation to liberate the city from what it said a group of corrupts who took the city as a hostage, killed its free people, and forcibly displaced them from their homes. In a statement, the force called on all the social components of the city to support them in order to eradicate these criminals and mercenaries and return the city to the embrace of the motherland, according to the statement [Libya Observer, 21.12.2019].
TRIPOLI
- the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has secured more advances towards the heart of Tripoli. LNA army units arriving at one of Tripoli’s largest districts, known as the Abu Salim neighborhood– army spokesman Ahmed Al-Mismari called on militias in the area to surrender [Address Libya, 22.12.2019];
- the Libyan National Army has announced that its units had taken control of the Tekbali Military Camp in Salah al-Deen Neighborhood, amid a retreat from the forces of the Government of National Accord. The Military Information Unit of the 155th Infantry Battalion explained in a statement, that “the army managed to advance in the Salah al-Deen neighborhood and took control of new locations after fierce battles against GNA forces.” [Address Libya, 22.12.2019];
- Libya’s United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord has accepted an offer from Turkey for military and logistical support as it seeks to repel an offensive led by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) on December 19 moved to put in action a security accord brokered with Ankara in November, according to GNA sources [Libyan Express, 19.12.2019];
- clashes have intensified between forces loyal to Libya’s internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar south of the capital, Tripoli. Turkey’s Anadolu Agencyreported that Haftar’s forces attacked the capital from 11 sites including areas around Tripoli International Airport [Marsad, 19.12.2019];
- the Libyan National Army (LNA) launched violent air strikes on the positions of the forces allied with the Government of Fayez al-Sarraj (GNA) in Abu Salim and Hadhba project south of Tripoli. The 134th Infantry Battalion of LNA, which is protecting and securing Al-Wetia airbase, announced that LNA fighter jets also targeted GNA forces in Al-Khalla and Ain Zara in the Capital [Address Libya, 18.12.2019].
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is ready to increase military support to Libya if necessary, saying Turkey is studying marine, land, and air options for such support. Erdogan said on December 22, while attending a ceremony for a new submarine, Ankara won’t reconsider the MoUs with Libya [Libya Observer, 22.12.2019];
- the United States is “very concerned” about the intensification of the conflict in Libya, with a rising number of reported Russian mercenaries supporting Khalifa Haftar’s forces on the ground turning the conflict into a bloodier one, a senior State Department official told Reuters on December 21. The United States continues to recognize the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj, the official said, but added that Washington is not taking sides in the conflict and is talking to all stakeholders who could be influential in trying to forge an agreement [Libyan Express, 22.12.2019];
- Chechen President, Ramdan Kadyrov has affirmed his country’s support for the Libyan people and for efforts to restore security and stability in the country, expressing willingness to transfer their experience in conflict resolution and counter-terrorism to Libya [Libya Observer, 21.12.2019];
- the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on December 20 of the consequences of attempts by some quarters to ignore the internationally recognized government of Fayez Al-Sarraj, saying that Egypt, the Emirates, France, and Italy are involved in the Libyan crisis [Libya Observer, 21.12.2019];
- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) warned that growing foreign interference in Libya would put the country’s unity at risk. “UNSMIL” regrets the recent developments: military escalation, growing foreign interference in Libya & exchange of treason accusations by Libyan parties, which put the unity of Libya at risk [Address Libya, 20.12.2019];
- the new Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said his country won’t accept being excluded from the efforts to resolve Libya’s crisis and the efforts to stabilize Libya. His remarks came after he took the oath as the new president of Algeria on December 18 [Libya Observer, 19.12.2019];
- Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on December 18 that he would expedite the military cooperation with Libya, reaffirming that he had expressed to the Libyan side that Ankara is ready at any time [Libya Observer, 19.12.2019];
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 19 he wants to see an end to the conflict in Libya and then talks between the two opposing sides to begin. Speaking at an annual news conference in Moscow, Putin said he would discuss Libya with a Turkish delegation in Russia in the coming days. Moscow and Ankara have backed different sides in the conflict, which began in 2014 [Address Libya, 19.12.2019];
- EU Foreign Affairs chief Josep Borrell stands ready to go to Libya and help solve the ongoing crisis between the different parties, EU spokesperson Peter Stano said on December 18. Stano told media that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis, adding that the cessation of hostilities and the return to political dialogue is the only viable option [Address Libya, 18.12.2019];
- the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on all Libyan parties to halt military escalation and support the efforts of the UN envoy Ghassan Salame. Spokesman for Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric, said the Secretary General called on international actors to help Libyans reach a peaceful solution to the conflict [Libya Observer, 18.12.2019];
- Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Britain’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, agreed on the need to reach a political solution in Libya and combat terrorist groups which control some parts of the country. According to a statement by spokesman of the Egyptian Presidency Bassem Radi, El-Sisi telephoned Johnson to congratulate him on his election victory [Address Libya, 18.12.2019];
- in a letter addressed to the Security Council, Egypt confirmed that the agreement signed between Ankara and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) violates Security Council resolutions regarding Libya, especially Resolution 1970 of 2011 [Address Libya, 18.12.2019].
