Article

2018-10-02 Africa North

[Libya Observer] Derna in eastern Libya has been the scene for fierce festivities since Sunday between Derna Protection Force and the self-styled army forces led by Khalifa Haftar

...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
.

Eyewitnesses said festivities renewed in Wasit al-Blad neighborhood, where Derna Protection Force fighters are still in control as Haftar's forces continue to encircle them.

They also said artillery shells were heard all over the city.

Meanwhile,
...back at the pound, the little lost dog backed into the corner and showed its teeth. And what big teeth they were!...
Brigade 303 of Haftar's forces said it was targeting "terrorists" in the neighborhood, saying fighting grew intense since Monday morning as it advanced to end the presence of Derna Protection Force.

Pro-Haftar social media pages posted footage showing tanks shelling Wasit al-Blad neighborhood (Old Town) while some said that houses of displaced families were robbed by Haftar-Loyal forces.

Videos posted in the past days showed the destruction in Derna due to artillery shelling by Haftar's forces.

Haftar's forces announced last May a military operation to "Liberate Derna" from Derna Protection Force, which drove ISIS out three years ago, and then they declared victory in July, despite recurrent fighting and continued displacement ever since.

Posted by Fred 2018-10-02 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top
File under: Arab Spring

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