After the 2011 NATO supported uprising that toppled and killed Libya’s longtime leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Libyan administrations divided into the west and the east.
On Sunday, the United Nations recognized- Libyan government condemned overnight air raids against the al-Watiya airbase by “foreign air force.”
The Al-Watiya airbase located in the west of the country was recently captured by the Government of National Accord (GNA), backed by Turkey.
Salah al-Namrush, GNA Deputy Defence Minister, said, “The raids last night against Al-Watiya base were carried out by a foreign air force in support of the war criminal [Haftar] in a miserable and desperate attempt to achieve a morale-boosting victory.”
Al-Namrush further stated “response in the right place and at the right time”, and that the attacks were “a failed attempt to distract from recent victories” by the GNA.
The GNA managed to claim the airbase and the entire west of the country in May and June respectively, after defeating the Haftar forces.
The Haftar forces are backed by Egypt, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army has accused Turkey- the main GNA backer- of using the airbase to help GNA soldiers launch offensive attacks against Tripoli last April.
Furthermore, Egypt has warned that any Turkish-backed effort to take over the recently captured city of Sirte, could lead its army to directly intervene.
Currently, the GNA and LNA are mobilizing forces between the cities of Misrata and Sirte; the new front lines of the dispute.