The Libyan National Army is satisfied with how the battle for Tripoli is going despite having to advance cautiously and hopes that it will end in due course, Col. Ahmed Mismari, the LNA spokesman, told Sputnik Thursday
BENGHAZI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th August, 2019) The Libyan National Army is satisfied with how the battle for Tripoli is going despite having to advance cautiously and hopes that it will end in due course, Col. Ahmed Mismari, the LNA spokesman, told Sputnik Thursday."The LNA forces have a tough military plan, according to which the army will continue a slow and continuous attack. Yes, very slow attack due to the rules of warfare. They oblige us to save the lives of citizens and their property. We, as the LNA General Command, and our soldiers are very pleased with the battle progress in Tripoli. We hope it ends on time," Mismari said in an interview.
According to him, the reason for postponing and at times stopping the military operations in Tripoli was to develop a thorough plan that would eventually exhaust the terrorists.
"The battle in the Libyan capital is a huge battle against all terrorist organizations in Tripoli, fleeing from Derna, Benghazi and south of Libya. There is a line for the supply of weapons, ammunition and military equipment from Turkey or Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants (formerly known as Nusra Front, terrorist group banned in Russia) and other groups. The city also has militants from Misrata, Zawiya; some other cities have already entered the battle for Tripoli, we have developed a plan based on several stages. The first stage is the weakening and exhaustion of an opponent," the spokesman said.
He added that during the LNA's operations, the enemy suffered significant losses in weapons and ammunition, which forced militants out of the city where they were then neutralized.
At the moment, the LNA does not have a full control over the capital.
"Our troops are concentrated in the Ain Zara region, the largest of the eastern districts, we are also located on the edge of Tajura east of the capital. We can say that the plan is based on the terrorists' withdrawal from these areas," Mismari said.
Despite the fact that the UN Security Council has imposed an embargo on arms supplies to Libya, the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) continues to receive weapons, ammunition and military equipment.
"Airports, runways at Misrata, Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli are still under the militants' control. They can take any aircraft at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, as well as at Zuwarah International Airport. They control the seaports of Misrata, Tripoli, Zuwarah and small harbors where they can smuggle weapons and military equipment," the spokesman told Sputnik, explaining how the UN-backed army gets the supplies.
Earlier in August, leaders of the G7 issued a statement at their annual summit calling for an immediate ceasefire between Libya's two rival authorities.
"We heard about this statement, but the General Command of the Libyan Army still has not received any official copy. We work in cooperation with international counterterrorism organizations," Mismari told Sputnik.
The security and political situation in Libya has been unstable since the 2011 revolution. The country is still divided between the LNA-backed parliament ruling over eastern Libya, and the UN-supported GNA, controlling the other part of the country.
