In Al-Ajilat, the Libyan Army under the command of the Government of National Accord (GNA) has shot down a drone (Wing Loong provided by the UAE to Khalifa Haftar).
In Al-Wishka, Air defenses of the Libyan National Army (LNA) shoot down L39 warplane belonging to the Tripoli-based Government of Fayez al-Sarraj (GNA).
In Tripoli, the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces fended off on March 31 an attack by the militias allied with the Tripoli-based Government of Fayez al-Sarraj (GNA) at Al-Mashroua axis and Airport Road.
On the international level, the UN mission head’s in Libya, Stephanie Williams has chaired the second international follow-up committee meeting on Libya. Williams expressed her regret for the dire consequences of the war that has been going on for a year now.
AL-AJILAT
- the Libyan Army under the command of the Government of National Accord (GNA) has shot down a drone (Wing Loong provided by the UAE to Khalifa Haftar) as it was trying to raid on its positions in southern Al-Ajilat in west Libya. The spokesman for the Libyan Army Mohammed Gununu said on Facebook on April 1 their air defences were responsible for shooting down UAE’s Wing Loong, which Haftar’s forces are using in their air attacks [Libya Observer, 01.04.2020];
- the 65th infantry battalion of the Libyan National Army (LNA), announced on April 1 that a guided missile, carried on marine vessel, landed in Al-Ajilat town west of Tripoli. The Battalion said the missile can be installed on any warship and its base is installed on the back of any marine vessel and directed to the target. The missile was made in the United States and can be obtained through arms smuggling companies in the American West, according the Battalion [Address Libya, 01.04.2020].
AL-WISHKA
- Air defenses of the Libyan National Army (LNA) shoot down L39 warplane belonging to the Tripoli-based Government of Fayez al-Sarraj (GNA) militias over Al-Wishka town south-east Misrata, killing two crew members [Address Libya, 02.04.2020];
- Air Force hit on April 2 Haftar’s forces positions and military vehicles on Al-Wishka frontline, as pro-Haftar social media pages reported the death of six fighters in an airstrike on Al-Wishka [Libya Observer, 02.04.2020].
BANI WALID
- the media office of Volcano of Rage Operation said on April 2 that Air Force warplanes had destroyed three trucks in Tininay area in south Bani Walid, adding that they were laden with ammunition, artillery rounds and Grad rockets in route to Khalifa Haftar’s forces in south Tripoli [Libya Observer, 02.04.2020].
MISRATA
- Moral Guidance Department of the Libyan National Army (LNA) confirmed on March 31 the killing of a large number of Turkish military officers and advisors, after LNA Air Force launched strikes on Misrata Air Academy. The Administration explained that the air forces carried out strikes last night, and in the early morning hours, on March 31, where they revealed the locations of Turkish radar platforms and missiles that resisted the raid [Address Libya, 31.03.2020].
SIRTE – JUFRA
- the Libyan Air Force carried out frequent airstrikes in the Sirte-Jufra zone to target Hafta’s militias. At least 25 of them, including mercenaries from the Janjaweed militia have been killed in these raids, the Libyan army spokesman, Colonel Mohammed Gununu said on April 3 [Libya Observer, 04.04.2020].
TARHOUNA
- the spokesman for the Libyan Army Mohammed Gununu said a Libyan Air Force warplane targeted on April 5 a military cargo plane minutes after it had landed in a Tarhouna airstrip. Gununu said the military cargo aircraft was loaded with ammunition and weapons for Khalifa Haftar’s forces. A source said that the aircraft was an Antonov coming from the UAE and it was hit by a Libyan Air Force drone strike, thus destroying massive shipments of ammunition and equipment [Libya Observer, 05.04.2020].
TRIPOLI
- heavy clashes erupted on April 5 in southern Tripoli between the Libyan Army under the command of the Government of National Accord and Khalifa Haftar’s forces as the former advanced on different frontlines pushing Haftar’s fighters away amid their shortage of ammunition and supplies. Libyan Army sources said they had advanced on Mashroa al-Hadba, Ain Zara and Wadi Rabea frontlines in southern Tripoli amid violent clashes, as Haftar’s forces launched rockets on Abu Salim neighborhood, causing massive material damage in public and private properties [Libya Observer, 05.04.2020];
- the Libyan National Army’s Ajdabiya Operations Force has repelled an attack by pro-Turkey Syrian mercenaries on the Ain Zara front in southern Tripoli. In a statement on April 4, Ajdabiya Operations Force said, “Turkish-backed militias and Syrian mercenaries have attempted this morning to attack our advanced concentrations in the Ain Zara neighborhood of Tripoli with the aim of recovering their lost positions in the past two days,” noting that LNA units “repelled the attack and inflicted heavy losses among the enemy ranks [Address Libya, 04.04.2020];
- several civilians, including children, were injured in unprovoked firing and shelling by Haftar’s militias on the Hadhaba area, south of Tripoli, on April 3, Mayor of Abu Salim, Abdul Rahman al-Hamidi has said [Libya Observer, 04.04.2020];
- the Libyan National Army (LNA) directly hit ammunition depots of the militias allied with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), mercenaries and Turkish invaders with precision artillery strikes, according to LNA. LNA targeted the militias at Al-Naser Forest in Tripoli and the Military Camp 77, where fire set to them, said LNA Department of Moral Guidance on April 3 [Address Libya, 03.04.2020];
- two people were killed and another person was injured when Haftar’s militias showered neighborhoods in the Airport Road, south of Tripoli with rockets on April 1 night, the Field Medicine and Support Center has confirmed [Libya Observer, 02.04.2020];
- one civilian has been killed and others injured as Khalifa Haftar’s forces have fired a rocket on the densely populated area of Gergaresh in Tripoli, Health Ministry said in a statement on March 31. Haftar’s rockets fell also on Abu Salim and Mazawgha areas in Tripoli, leaving two civilians injured – one child – according to the mayor of Abu Salim [Libya Observer, 31.03.2020];
- the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces fended off on March 31 an attack by the militias allied with the Tripoli-based Government of Fayez al-Sarraj (GNA) at Al-Mashroua axis and Airport Road in Tripoli [Address Libya, 31.03.2020].
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- one year on from the start of Libya’s destructive war, UNSMIL renewed on April 4 its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unity to combat Covid-19. In its statement, UNSMIL said that ‘‘Today marks one year since the forces of “Libyan National Army” Commander General Khalifa Haftar launched their offensive to seize Tripoli, Libya’s capital [Libya Herald, 05.04.2020];
- the UN mission head’s in Libya, Stephanie Williams has chaired the second international follow-up committee meeting on Libya. Williams expressed her regret for the dire consequences of the war that has been going on for a year now. She urged all parties to adhere to the outputs of the Berlin Conference and the United Nations arms embargo on Libya [Libya Observer, 04.04.2020];
- the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has blamed Haftar for the new cycle of violence in Libya, stressing “Haftar triggered the conflict with his attack on Tripoli and the UN’s goal now is to stop the war”. The UN head called on all parties involved in the conflict in Libya to understand that this is the moment to stop the fighting [Libya Observer, 04.04.2020];
- the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, renewed his call to end the fighting in Libya, noting that the Arab League condemns foreign military intervention in Libya [Address Libya, 04.04.2020];
- the United States has called on Libya’s warring parties once again to “urgently set aside the issues that divide them” and “focus their full energies on promoting the health of all Libyans” in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic [Address Libya, 03.04.2020];
- the humanitarian crisis in Libya is worsening amid deepening conflict and COVID-19 threat, warned UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch. Speaking at press briefing at UN headquarters in Geneva on April 3, Baloch said more than 300 civilians have been killed and 150,000 others displaced from their homes since last April [Address Libya, 03.04.2020];
- Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Stephanie Williams, said the top priority of the UN Mission now is to stop the fighting and implement a humanitarian truce in order to focus on fighting the spread of the Coronavirus [Address Libya, 02.04.2020];
- with the Irini mission to control the arms embargo on Libya, Italy is at the forefront of promoting the peace process, said Fabio Massimo Castaldo, the Vice-President of the European Parliament. “Once again Italy is at the forefront of promoting the peace process in the battered Libya and in the entire Mediterranean,” Castaldo said on April 2 [Address Libya, 02.04.2020];
- China has confirmed its readiness to support Libya in its efforts to tackle the coronavirus epidemic, Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Muhammad al-Qiblawi said. Al-Qiblawi explained that “Chinese President, Xi Jinping appreciated in a message addressed to the head of the Presidential Council, Fayez al-Sarraj, the measures taken by the Government of National Accord to confront the plague [Libya Observer, 02.04.2020];
- the Special Assistant to the U.S. President and Deputy Press Secretary said that Donald Trump agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the importance of abiding by the ceasefire in Libya and Syria and working to communicate a peaceful solution in both countries [Address Libya, 02.04.2020];
- the European Union has launched a new naval mission off Libyan coast, Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military operation in the Mediterranean, called IRINI (peace in Greek) in order to step up efforts to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya. Operation IRINI will have as its core task the implementation of the UN arms embargo through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets, according to the EU’s announced on March 31 [Libya Observer, 31.03.2020];
- the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Libya among the COVID-19 high risk countries in the region. WHO asserted the importance of observing the preventive measures for the protection against COVID-19. Eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Libya, according to the Libyan National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) [Address Libya, 30.03.2020].
