The top commander of Libya’s air force has announced he backs a renegade general’s offensive against Islamist lawmakers and extremist militias, further building support from the country’s fragmented military for a campaign the government describes as a coup.
Colonel Gomaa al-Abbani, the chief commander of Libya’s air force, gave a televised address on Tuesday night in which he said his forces would back General Khalifa Haftar.
Al-Abbani pledged to make a “new Libya a vital player in combating terrorism and violence,” while calling upon all people to support the military.
Military units and commanders have made a series of loyalty pledges to Haftar’s “Libyan National Army” and his offensive that began on Friday last week against Islamist militias in Benghazi.
Militias apparently allied to Haftar launched an attack on Sunday against Libya’s parliament as his group declared the lawmaking body suspended.
Lawmakers tried to hold a session in an undisclosed location on Tuesday, but came under attack by rocket fire.
Explosions and heavy fighting with anti-aircraft guns could be heard near two military camps in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, early yesterday, witnesses said.
Residents reported several loud explosions near the al-Yarmouk barracks in the Salaheddin District, but the cause was unclear. Gunfire and explosions later appeared to die down.
There was also heavy fighting near an army camp in the eastern Tajoura suburb.
“We’re hearing really loud explosions and gunshots near the camp, but we don’t know [who] is shooting,” a Tajoura resident said.
Other parts of the capital appeared to be quiet.
Haftar’s campaign comes as parliament, which saw its mandate expire in February, finds itself split between Islamist and non-Islamist lawmakers.
Late on Tuesday, non-Islamist lawmakers and voting bloc called the National Forces Alliance issued a statement apparently supporting Haftar, saying Libyans have found themselves “drowning in swamp of terrorism, darkness, killing and destruction.”
Also on Tuesday, Libya’s election commission announced parliamentary elections are to be held June 25, a top demand among most Libyans.
Meanwhile, the US on Tuesday distanced itself from Haftar and said it was watching events in the country closely.
“We have not had contact with him recently. We do not condone or support the actions on the ground, and nor have we assisted with these actions,” US Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.
“So we are continuing to call on all parties to refrain from violence and to seek resolution through peaceful means,” added Psaki, declining to say whether Washington viewed Haftar’s actions as a coup attempt.
The jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia, blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Washington, has charged that Haftar, who spent more than two decades in exile in the US, was leading “a war against ... Islam orchestrated by the United States and its Arab allies.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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