The Libyan Army has continued to clear putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces from more areas, while a pro-Haftar official recently met the militia commanders, reports said Thursday.
The Libyan Army announced early Thursday that it had destroyed 10 armored vehicles belonging to warlord Haftar's militias in the country's south.
Army units have also cleared the Qarizma and Ahya al-Barriya regions in southern Tripoli from militias to "a significant extent," army spokesperson Col. Mohammed Gununu said in a written statement.
Having recaptured the strategic al-Watiya airbase in western Libya from Haftar's militias on May 18, the army continues to clear the militia presence in the country.
MIlitary units surrounded the town of Tarhuna, which is being used as a military and supply base by Haftar's militias. Some militia groups were forced to retreat from fronts in southern Tripoli to defend the town.
They have also cleared a wide region from Haftar's militias, including Hamzah, Yarmuk and as-Sawarih. They also reclaimed some critical points from the militias and took control of the al-Tekbali military camp.
After the Libyan Army cleared southern Tripoli of Haftar's militias, mercenaries reportedly retreated from fronts in Tripoli and were dispatched to an unknown point from Bani Walid Airport.
The media recently reported that many vehicles carrying mercenaries had retreated from the fronts in Tripoli.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the east Libya-based House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, met with the militia commanders of Haftar early Thursday.
Saleh met with Abd al-Razik al-Nazuri, Saqr al-Jarushi, Muhammed es-Senusi and Hayri at-Tamimi in southern Libya.
During the meeting, which Haftar did not attend, the commanders informed Saleh about military developments on the ground.
The meeting took place at a time when relations between Saleh and Haftar are tense.
Following the ouster of late ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya's government was founded in 2015 under a U.N.-led political deal.
Since April 2019, the government has been under attack by Haftar's forces, based in eastern Libya, and more than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence.
With the continuous defeats of Haftar militias on the battlefield against Libyan government forces, Saleh announced in late April a proposal to reach a political solution to the crisis.
Immediately after the proposal, Haftar declared himself the sole ruler of Libya, dropping the U.N.-brokered Skhirat Agreement, signed in 2015 between Libya's warring sides. The move was condemned by international actors and regional allies.
Haftar, however, was unable to overthrow the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and its speaker Saleh – who was seen as a subordinate of Haftar – as he enjoys major tribal support in east Libya.
Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) launched a failed offensive to take Tripoli last April which caused bloodshed and suffering but stalled on the outskirts of the city.
US military says Russia flew military aircraft to Libya
Russian military personnel flew MiG-29 and Su-24 fighter planes to a Libyan air base escorted by other Russian fighter jets, the U.S. military said Wednesday, detailing a deployment of airpower that could have a big impact on Libya's war.
Moscow backs Haftar in his conflict with the Government of National Accord (GNA), which is recognized by the United Nations and backed by Turkey. Libya is subject to a U.N. arms embargo.
Haftar spokesman Ahmed Mismari denied that new jets had arrived, calling it "media rumors and lies." Last week he said the LNA had repaired four old Libyan jets for use and announced the start of a major new air campaign.
A Russian member of parliament earlier on Wednesday said Russia had not sent any military personnel to Libya and the upper house of parliament had received no request to approve such a dispatch.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military's Africa Command said it assessed that Russia had flown fighter jets to Libya via Syria to support Russian mercenaries fighting alongside the LNA.
It said the jets were repainted in Syria to remove Russian Federation Air Force markings.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the U.S. military added that the jets had been flown by Russian military personnel and were escorted to Libya by Russian fighter planes, indicating a higher level of involvement by Moscow.
They first landed in Tobruk, in eastern Libya, and then flew to Jufra in central Libya, an LNA stronghold, the Tweets said. They added that 14 newly unmarked Russian fighter planes had been delivered to Jufra.
Haftar has suffered a series of military setbacks recently in his offensive to capture the capital Tripoli and Russian mercenaries who had left frontlines in the city's suburbs were evacuated from a town further south on Saturday, its mayor said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said on Wednesday the situation in Libya was very worrying, warning the Syria scenario was being replicated in the country.
UN concerned about Russian deployment of fighter jets to Libya
The U.N. said Wednesday it was "following with great concern" claims that Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for Haftar in the long-running conflict.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military command for Africa (Africom) accused Moscow of deploying several MiG-29 Fulcrum jets and Su-35 Flankers in support of Haftar, who has been fighting to seize Tripoli from the U.N.-recognized GNA since April 2019.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said the Russians had sent a mix of "approximately 14 military fighters."
The U.N. Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that, if proven, it would "constitute a flagrant violation of the arms embargo" imposed on Libya in 2011.
Without mentioning Russia, Dujarric said, "reports of violations have increased significantly in the past few weeks, with reported near-daily transfers by air, land and sea."
"This increase in the violations of the arms embargo will only lead to the intensification of the fighting, which will result in devastating consequences for the Libyan people," he added.
The legitimate government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019.
His illegal forces in eastern Libya have launched several attacks to capture Tripoli with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.
The government launched Operation Peace Storm on March 26 to counter attacks on the capital.
