libyan national army steps up bombing of militia positions at key oil ports
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

Libyan National Army steps up bombing of militia positions at key oil ports

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Libyan National Army steps up bombing of militia positions at key oil ports

Pipelines at Libya's Ras Lanuf oil port pictured
Tripoli - Arab Today

Heavy air strikes hit militias holding two central Libyan oil ports on Monday as the Libyan National Army pressed a counter-offensive to recapture them.
Eyewitnesses near the ports of Sidra and Ras Lanuf said planes dropped bombs and rockets on positions held by the Benghazi Defence Brigades which seized them from the army on March 3.
At least one helicopter gunship was filmed firing rockets at Brigades positions south-east of the Ras Lanuf port, along a desert front line facing army positions, during what appears to be the heaviest of daily bombings on the militias since they captured the ports.
Additional night strikes were reported in the early hours of Monday, with fixed-wing jets targeting supply bases belonging to the Brigades further east, near the town of Ben Jawad on Libya’s main coastal road.
The fighting is the most serious military confrontation so far between the army, the main force of Libya’s elected parliament, the House of Representatives, and fighters supporting the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), a rival administration in Tripoli.
Idris Bukhamada, the commander of the GNA’s Petroleum Facilities Guard, which took over control of Sidra and Ras Lanuf from the Benghazi Defence Brigades last week, said the army strikes hit oil installations at the ports. The army denied this, however.
Eyewitnesses appeared to back army accounts, reporting that the bombing seemed to target the militias in residential blocks outside both ports, and in the town of Ras Lanuf, rather than the ports themselves.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation closed the ports on March 4 and two tankers that were supposed to have docked at Sidra last week were diverted to other oil ports. Oil production has since fallen from 700,000 barrels per day to 620,000, the National Oil Corporation stated on Friday.
East of the ports, Libyan National Army commander Field Marshal Khaifa Haftar has assembled a powerful ground force of 5,000 troops from brigades across much of eastern Libya. This force appears to be waiting before launching a promised ground assault on the ports, which was given its blessing on Thursday last week by a meeting of eastern and some western tribal leaders in Benghazi.
Meanwhile in Tripoli, Government of National Accord defence minister Al Mahdi Al Barghathi called for ambulances to bring wounded fighters – presumably those aligned with the UN-backed administration – west from the battle. The Benghazi Defence Brigades have given no casualty figures for the fighting so far while Libyan media reports say more than 40 army soldiers have died.
The chief of the United Nations Support Mission for Libya, Martin Kobler, met delegates from the House of Representatives in Tripoli on Friday, seeking consensus on the Libya Political Agreement, a power sharing plan which the House of Representatives has so far not signed.
"I urge House of Representatives members to rally behind the LPA and nominate their delegation for political talks," the German diplomat tweeted after the meeting. "Libya cannot wait!"
The political agreement would see the Government of National Accord become Libya’s legitimate government while the House of Representatives would form the legislature – a deal the UN mission says could bring peace to Libya.
Attitudes are hardening on all sides, however, after the House of Representatives last week announced it was pulling out of the Libya Political Agreement talks process.

Source: The National

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

libyan national army steps up bombing of militia positions at key oil ports libyan national army steps up bombing of militia positions at key oil ports



GMT 10:08 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

US Senate confirms Jerome Powell as next Fed chairman

GMT 07:32 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Oil spill disasters in the past 50 years

GMT 14:45 2011 Friday ,30 September

Plutonium \'detected outside Fukushima plant\'

GMT 06:38 2011 Friday ,03 June

Cyber attacks constant

GMT 13:56 2018 Tuesday ,04 September

HRH Premier's keenness to promote social ties hailed

GMT 17:29 2013 Tuesday ,02 July

HEC pays an inspection visit to Ahlia University

GMT 10:35 2017 Thursday ,10 August

Victory Team ready for UIM F1H2O World Championship

GMT 11:38 2017 Thursday ,10 August

Fujairah Crown Prince opens Jiu Jitsu Championship

GMT 13:46 2011 Thursday ,16 June

Flavoured milk off the menu in schools

GMT 16:01 2014 Monday ,06 January

Hilton continues growth in UAE

GMT 14:44 2011 Sunday ,12 June

Hundreds of schools face blacklisting

GMT 09:16 2011 Friday ,15 July

Google going social as profit soars

GMT 11:49 2011 Thursday ,13 October

Abou-Treika joins Ahly trainings for Haras clash

GMT 08:57 2015 Friday ,12 June

Trio share St Jude lead

GMT 00:48 2011 Sunday ,08 May

West Ham rooted to bottom of Premiership

GMT 23:09 2011 Tuesday ,10 May

De Jong backs Man City to beat Spurs

GMT 06:53 2011 Saturday ,21 May

UN Chief to visit Nigeria next week

GMT 11:57 2017 Monday ,27 February

Meet Malaysia's first family of skiing

GMT 19:04 2017 Saturday ,25 March

Malaysia's February CPI Up 4.5 Per Cent

GMT 14:16 2013 Sunday ,30 June

Top advice on making him care

GMT 09:52 2013 Friday ,19 April

Actress shaves her locks for cancer-patient role
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday