General Haftar's Forces Claim Control of Tripoli Airport in Libya

Supporters of General Khalifa Haftar, who have been advancing towards Tripoli, the capital of Libya, claimed on Saturday evening, April 6, that they have taken control of Tripoli International Airport. Haftar's media office published a statement online declaring, "We are standing in the heart of Tripoli Airport" and stated that they have full control of the airport and are protecting its facilities. Several local media outlets have also reported that clashes resumed with intensity on Sunday morning after a few hours of pause. Tripoli International Airport has been practically inactive for about five years since much of it was destroyed in conflicts. Since the fall and subsequent assassination of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, this North African country has been embroiled in civil war and is severely unstable. Currently, there are two governments in Libya: the Tripoli government, which is supported by the United Nations, and a government in Benghazi, in the east of the country, whose armed forces are affiliated with General Haftar. Haftar's forces, known as the "Libyan National Army," announced on Thursday that they have launched an operation to "liberate Tripoli." The UN Security Council and the G7 industrialized nations have described Haftar's actions as a "threat to the stability of Libya" and have urged him to halt his advance towards Tripoli. Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the UN-supported Presidential Council of Libya, stated in a televised message on Saturday that his government has made proposals to Haftar to prevent bloodshed, but "he stabbed us in the back." The head of the Tripoli government also emphasized that government forces will confront Haftar's forces "with strength and determination." On Saturday, parts of Tripoli witnessed clashes between the two sides, and on Saturday evening, Haftar's forces announced that they had also taken control of the "Wadi al-Rabie" area, southwest of Tripoli. Ahmed al-Misari, a spokesman for Haftar's forces, mentioned that 14 of their troops were killed in the clashes and accused rival forces of conducting airstrikes against their positions in the town of al-Aziziya on Wednesday. Haftar's forces have declared the sky over Tripoli a no-fly zone. Peace negotiations between rival groups in Libya and preparations for holding elections in the country were supposed to take place under the auspices of the UN; however, Haftar's military action has cast uncertainty on the fate of these negotiations. Ghassan Salameh, the UN special representative for Libya, stated on Saturday in Tripoli that the UN is still seeking to set a precise date for holding elections by organizing a "national conference" at the end of this month. Mr. Salameh emphasized that efforts have been made for a year to hold these negotiations, saying, "We will not abandon this political action." According to the Associated Press, recent clashes in Libya between two sides that possess numerous militias have raised concerns about the outbreak of a bloody war in the country.