Libya's UN-backed government forces advance to control Sirte

Tripoli

The spokesman of the UN-backed Libyan government on Saturday announced launching an offensive to take over the city of Sirte, some 450 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli, from the eastern-based army after it withdrew from western Libya.

The spokesman said the UN-backed government forces launched five airstrikes on the eastern-based army in Sirte that destroyed military vehicles.

Mohamed Gonono on Friday announced taking over all of western Libya after controlling Tarhuna city, the last stronghold of the rival eastern-based army in western Libya that is located some 90 kilometres southeast of the capital Tripoli, following withdrawal of the rival eastern-based army.

The spokesman of the eastern-based army of Libya, Ahmad al-Mismari, on Friday said the eastern-based army had withdrawn from western Libya due to "international pressure."

BIGGEST THREAT

Munther Al-Zawi, a military commander of the UN-backed forces, said that Tarhuna was the biggest threat to the government in western Libya, which the eastern-based forces used as a major hub for military operations.

"Currently, we are chasing the remnants of the militias of Haftar (commander of eastern-based army) fleeing southeast of Tripoli. We will not allow any of his forces to remain in western Libya. Now things have changed and we will not allow threats from eastern Libya, where Haftar's is based and launches attacks," Al-Zawi told Xinhua.

"We do not have any problems with our people in the east, unlike the godfather of chaos Haftar, who caused the loss of thousands of Libyan lives in a losing war only because of his greed for power at any cost," he added.

Libyan MP Mustafa Abu-Shagour confirmed that the UN-backed government had defeated an "international coalition" that supported the eastern-based army.

FIGHT FOR TRIPOLI

"The 14-month epic fight of Tripoli ended with victory of the defenders of the country over the international coalition that brought mercenaries from all over the world to support Haftar, who wanted to destroy Tripoli and destroy the hope of the Libyans for a state.

“The Libyan freemen presented convoys of martyrs to repel this brutal aggression on their capital," Abu-Shagour said in a statement.

The eastern-based army launched a military campaign in April 2019, attempting to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government.

The fighting killed and injured hundreds of civilians and forced more than 150,000 others to flee their homes.