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Africa North
Presidential Council: Haftar expanded offensive to include all of Libya
2020-03-29
[Libya Observer] The Head of the Presidential Council Fayez al-Sirraj said Saturday that 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, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. 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. Actually, he is, but slowly...
's forces had expanded the ground of their offensive to include all of Libya, adding the Libyan Army under the command of the Government of National Accord is doing its legitimate right to defend itself and the country.

The Presidential Council said in a statement, responding to Khalifa Haftar's attacks on Friday on Abu Grein in eastern Misrata, that such attacks point to the expansion of war to be across the whole country, adding that they will respond to them using all their capabilities.

"Our forces are defending themselves as per the legitimacy they have. They are still fighting in Abu Grein after they have managed repel Haftar's forces offensive and forced them to retreat." The statement reads.

The front man for the Libyan Army Mohammed Gununu said Friday their forces had repelled Haftar forces' attack on western Sirte frontlines as the latter tried to advance with the help of mercenaries and foreign aircraft.

"We have seized military vehicles and destroyed others as we repelled Haftar's attacks, which cost them over 100 killed fighters including prominent Tebu tribal leader Ali Sida, who is in charge of recruiting mercenaries from Chad and Sudan for Haftar." Gununu remarked.
Posted by:Fred

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