The Libyan National Army (LNA) is already in Tripoli, where the rival Government of National Accord (GNA) is based, Aref Ali Nayed, an envoy for the eastern Libyan government, told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th January, 2020) The Libyan National Army (LNA) is already in Tripoli, where the rival Government of National Accord (GNA) is based, Aref Ali Nayed, an envoy for the eastern Libyan government, told Sputnik.
On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country was gradually deploying troops to Libya to support the GNA. Back in November, Ankara and the GNA signed a military cooperation agreement that sparked backlash from the rival Libyan Tobruk administration, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and others.
"The surge in popular support for the LNA since the signing of the illegal agreements between Erdogan and [Prime Minister of the GNA Fayez] Sarraj has led to rapid LNA advances on Sirte and on Tripoli itself. The LNA is already in Tripoli, and is only a few kilometers from its downtown," Nayed said.
The official added that the LNA was also now "less than a hundred kilometers" from Misrata, a coastal city that lies east of Tripoli.
In a separate interview earlier in January, Nayed told Sputnik that the functioning of basic infrastructure services in Sirte had been restored since the city was recaptured by the LNA from rival forces.
