MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2019) Battles on the outskirts of Libya's Tripoli will begin on Saturday, Ahmed Mismari, the spokesman of the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, said amid the forces' offensive on the city, controlled by the rival UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
"Tomorrow, there will be fighting on the outskirts of Tripoli," Mismari said on Friday, as quoted by Al-Hadath newspaper.
The LNA representative added that Haftar's forces were located 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) to the south of Tripoli.
The army began its offensive on Tripoli on Thursday in a bid to "liberate the city from terrorists" after taking control of the nearby cities of Surman and Garyan.
Earlier on Friday, Mismari said that the LNA was advancing on Tripoli from several directions simultaneously.
According to media reports, LNA and the forces of the GNA are currently in clashes, trying to take control over the international airport in Tripoli.
Haftar's offensive on the city sparked international concerns about the escalation of the situation in the country, which has been devastated by the conflict since 2011 when its long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was assassinated.
