Libyan National Army fighters, headed by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, targeted positions of forces belonging to the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Azizia area, south of the capital, Tripoli.
The General Command’s media said Wednesday the artillery forces of the 9th brigade are preparing to move from the city of Terhouna, near the capital, to the fighting hubs.
It added that it is ready to wipe out the enemy and called on citizens to stay away from clashes, pointing out that the air force’s vertical flight targeted positions of the so-called “the popular militia in Azizia.”
The number of people killed in GNA’s indiscriminate rocket attacks, which targeted the areas of Tajoura and Gasr Ben Ghashir, has increased to six civilians in addition to many injured.
The Libyan National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has condemned the random bombardment carried out on Tuesday on a number of residential and popular civilian zones, holding all armed conflict parties, in Tripoli’s western and south-western regions, responsible for this heinous crime.
“This crime is considered a war crime, a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and direct targeting of civilians,” CNDH stressed.
Head of Libyan Republic Coalition Party Izz al-Din Aqeel attributed the reasons behind bombing populated areas to the state of despair reached by the armed militias, especially those affiliated to the city of Misrata.
“They know that military operations will move to their city when it ends in Tripoli,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Drying up the militias’ ammunition, destroying their camps and war mechanisms, liquidating many of their main leaders and the death and fleeing of large numbers of young people all created a harsh atmosphere for them,” Izz al-Din explained.
Among all the defeats suffered by the Fayez al-Sarraj forces, the militias resorted to shedding civilian blood to pressure the international community to take a tougher stance on ending the war in the capital, he added.
