The forces of Libya’s Khalifa Haftar have said that Turkish vessels and interests are “legitimate targets” in its battle to seize the capital, Tripoli, after it accused Turkey of helping rival militias allied with the UN-supported government.
The self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Haftar, already controls much of the country’s east and south.
It launched an offensive against the weak Tripoli-based government in April. The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into another bout of violence on the scale of the 2011 conflict that ousted former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and led to his death.
Photo: Reuters
LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmari on Friday said that the country had “come under illegitimate Turkish aggression” in the past few weeks.
“Turkey has become directly involved in the battle [for Tripoli], with its soldiers, planes, sea ships and all the supplies that now reach Misrata, Tripoli and Zuwara directly,” al-Mesmari said.
Turkey had helped push the LNA out of the town of Gharyan, about 100km from Tripoli, he said.
The town was a key supply route for Haftar’s forces pushing toward the capital.
Turkish forces also bombed LNA positions and provided air cover for militias allied with the Tripoli-based government to retake the town, he said.
Al-Mesmari said LNA forces have now been ordered to target any Turkish ships, strategic sites or companies operating in Libya or its territorial waters, and to arrest any Turkish nationals in Libya.
Libyan officials said they had carried out “heavy” airstrikes in retaliation against the fighters who retook Gharyan.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
The government in the east said LNA forces were killed after being captured alive in hospitals in Gharyan, a claim denied by Gharyan Governor Yousef Bediri, who is loyal to the Tripoli government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said he was unaware of the LNA’s orders.
“If Haftar has given such an order, we’ll get that evaluated,” he said.
He said Turkey had already taken “necessary” precautions.
Libyan Colonel Mohamed Gnono, a spokesman for the Tripoli government forces, told a news conference in Gharyan that they captured more than 150 of Haftar’s troops and seized armored vehicles, three drones, US-made weapons and missiles and seven Chinese-made Norinco GP6 artillery weapons.
Oded Berkowitz, an Israeli security analyst who specializes in the Libyan conflict, said “the most interesting and notable” of these seized weapons were FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles, Emirati-made Yabhon drones, and Russian-made Kornet anti-tank guided missiles.
“This is a game changer not only because it’s a highly advanced weapon, but because it’s also American,” he said of the Javelin missiles.
The US on Saturday said it was looking into reports that US anti-tank missiles were found at a captured rebel base.
The New York Times on Friday reported that four Javelin missiles found at the base had markings indicate they were first sold to the United Arab Emirates, a major buyer of US arms.
If they were then sold or transferred to Haftar, that would violate both the terms of the sale and a UN arms embargo on Libya, the report said.
“We take all allegations of misuse of US origin defense articles very seriously. We are aware of these reports and are seeking additional information,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on condition of anonymity. “We expect all recipients of US origin defense equipment to abide by their end-use obligations.”
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