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Libyan Air Attacks, Counter Attacks on Jufra Air Base, Sudanese Militiamen Recruited by Hafter, 116 African Migrants Feared Drowned

July 28, 2019

 

Hafter's troops in south Tripoli, July 27, 2019	Sudanese militiamen fighting for Hafter in Libya, July 25, 2019

 

Another failed "Zero Hour Attack" by Haftar's forces in Libya's Tripoli

Libya Observer, July 27, 2019 - 20:11

Written By: AbdulkaderAssad

After fierce clashes in and around Naqliya Camp on the Airport Road in southern Tripoli between Libyan Army forces under the command of the Libyan Presidential Council and forces under the command of Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan Army announced Saturday evening that the camp was under its full control and Haftar's forces had fled the area.

Haftar's forces started their attack on Saturday morning and managed to have a brief entry to the Naqliya Camp before suffering considerable losses in fighters and military equipment and vehicles on their way out.

According to Haftar's forces, the attack was a Zero Hour for them to enter Tripoli with media outlets loyal to Haftar broadcasting an address for him urging the fighters to preserve the public and private properties once they set foot inside the capital's neighborhoods.

Amid the defeat, Al-Kanyat 9th Brigade evacuated residents in southern Zatarna area between Tajoura and Tarhouna aiming to engage in a fight on a new frontline to take some pressure off Haftar's forces being defeated on Naqliya frontline, while some of the brigade's fighters infiltrated Garabulli and positioned on the coastal road between Tripoli and Misrata before pulling out toward Tarhouna as Misrata sent massive forces to the area.

On Friday, Libyan Air Force hit Al-Jufra airbase - paramount for Haftar's forces - and thus Haftar's forces attack on Saturday could be to raise the morale of his fighters, according to sources.

The sources said the fighting will expand even to areas outside Tripoli in order to open new clashes' axes and enter Al-Jufra airbase in central Libya.

On Saturday dawn, Haftar's Air Force carried out an airstrike on Misrata airbase - one day after an airstrike on Al-Jufra airbase by the Libyan Army - and according to Haftar's forces, the strike destroyed a drone and air defense system, which was denied by the Libyan Army; saying only some depots and buildings were impacted.

It is the first time Misrata is attacked by an airstrike since the start of Haftar's offensive on Tripoli on April 04.

Sputnik: Two Ukrainian cargo planes destroyed in Libya's Army airstrikes on Al-Jufra airbase

Libya Observer, July 28, 2019 - 21:22

 Written By: AbdulkaderAssad

Russian news agency Sputnik said Sunday that Libyan Army airstrikes on Al-Jufra airbase destroyed two Ukrainian cargo planes (Il-76) used by Khalifa Haftar's forces in their Tripoli offensive.

The airstrikes on the airbase also destroyed a number of planes and military equipment, Sputnik said.

Sputnik reported Avia.pro website - specialized in aviation - said the (Il-76) planes were for Alfa Air firm, which is based in Ukraine's capital Kiev.

The firm has five Il76 cargo planes that were produced between 1990 and 1992.

Libya's Air Force under the command of Presidential Council's government hit Friday Al-Jufra airbase and destroyed an ammunition depot, military cargo plane and drones for Haftar's forces.

The General Staff of the Libyan Army said Al-Jufra airbase has become a hub to gather mercenaries fighting for Haftar's forces in their war on Tripoli.

Libya Air Force targets Al-Jufra Airbase with intensified air raids

Libya Observer, July 26, 2019 - 15:43

 Written By: AbdullahBenIbrahim

Libyan Air Force under the Government of National Accord carried out multiple drone attacks on Al-Jufra Airbase in central Libya in the early hours of Friday, destroying an ammunition depot and an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft for warlord Khalifa Haftar’s armed groups.

In a statement, the Joint Operations Room of the Western Military Zone said an air defence system was also destroyed in the air raids.

Media sources close to Haftar’s command confirmed the drone attacks without giving details about the damage and casualties.

Local residents in Hun and Waddan towns said they heard several loud explosions at Al-Jufra Airbase at around 4:00 am.

The Libyan Air Force renewed the drone attacks on Friday morning.

1,000 Sudanese militiamen arrive in Libya to support warlord Haftar

Libya Observer, July 25, 2019 - 23:14

 Written By: AbdullahBenIbrahim

The first batch of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has arrived in the oil crescent region in central Libya to protect oil installations in order to allow forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar to concentrate all their power on the Tripoli attack, Sudan’s Radio Dabanga reported Thursday.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a source estimated the number of troops to be about 1,000 out of the 4,000 troops expected to arrive in Libya in the next few months.

The RSF militia is made attractive by offering relatively high levels of pay.

Earlier, Al Jazeera unveiled documents that prove Sudan used its airspace to transport hundreds of mercenaries, recruited by Mohammed Hamdan Delgo (Hemitti) - deputy head of military council in Sudan -, from the Arab tribes in Darfur as well as neighbouring African countries to Libya, Yemen and Eritrea.

1,000 Sudanese militiamen arrive in Libya to support warlord Haftar

Libya Observer, July 25, 2019 - 23:14

 Written By: AbdullahBenIbrahim

The first batch of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has arrived in the oil crescent region in central Libya to protect oil installations in order to allow forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar to concentrate all their power on the Tripoli attack, Sudan’s Radio Dabanga reported Thursday.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a source estimated the number of troops to be about 1,000 out of the 4,000 troops expected to arrive in Libya in the next few months.

The RSF militia is made attractive by offering relatively high levels of pay.

Earlier, Al Jazeera unveiled documents that prove Sudan used its airspace to transport hundreds of mercenaries, recruited by Mohammed Hamdan Delgo (Hemitti) - deputy head of military council in Sudan -, from the Arab tribes in Darfur as well as neighbouring African countries to Libya, Yemen and Eritrea.

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Air wars escalate Libyan fighting to Jufra and Misrata

By Sami Zaptia.

Libya Herald, London, 28 July 2019:

The fighting between forces attacking and forces defending Tripoli escalated and expanded territorially over the weekend.

The air war extended to Jufra and Misrata, while fighting for territory around Tripoli intensified with ultimately no major gains or losses by either side.

The forces defending Tripoli, aligned to the Faiez Serraj-led Presidency Council and Government of National Accord, announced on Friday that they had carried out “several dawn air strikes” on the Al-Jufra Airbase located in Jufra, Central Libya.

The Jufra air base, as well as others, is used by the Khalifa-Hafter-led Libyan National Army (LNA) as a supply base for their attacks on the capital Tripoli,

The Tripoli forces accuse Hafter of also using the base as a “shelter for mercenaries brought in from some neighboring countries, and a springboard for foreign aircraft bombing civilians and vital facilities of interest to the Libyan people”.

They claimed to have “destroyed a hangar of drones belonging to an aggressor state (the usual code for the UAE or Egypt) , in addition to destroying a cargo plane (IIyushin II-76) that was used to transport ammunition and mercenaries to Libya”.

They also claimed to have “targeted a store of ammunition at Jufra airbase and a checkpoint on the Houn-Tripoli road and succeeded in achieving all its planned vital goals, after high-level intelligence and operational planning.”

They claimed that this is “the beginning of a new phase of operations, which has been intensively prepared in the last few days, planning for future phases in order to extend State authority over all the country’s land”.

They added that throughout July, their “forces were operating silently, moving positively, chasing the remnants of the defeated (Hafter) militias at Gaser Ben Ghashir, and shooting down two reconnaissance planes at the Airport Road”.

On the Swani frontline, they claimed to have “arrested eleven African mercenaries recruited by the war criminal Hafar for his aggression on the capital Tripoli”.

On the Ain Zara frontline, they claim they had “succeeded during the past week in defeating gunmen who had infiltrated into residential areas in Tripoli, destroying their vehicles and tanks, which were used to cover their attacks”.

On the al-Nahr frontline they claim they were able to seize military vehicles carrying anti-aircraft munitions in addition to destroying another vehicle.

They also claim that their Air Forces during the last period targeted supply lines, which were trying to cross into Tripoli and Gharian, and “defeated all its desperate attempts”.

In what they called “a qualitative operation” they also claimed to have arrested a terrorist cell that infiltrated the capital Tripoli. Initial investigations indicated that they had infiltrated with the help of Haftar’s militia for money, they added.

Hafter forces attack Misrata airbase

On the other hand, the pro Hafter forces claimed that they carried out air strikes on the Misrata Air Academy in retaliation for the Jufra air strike.

They claimed that the air strikes targeted “the source of Turkish airline departures of Turkish controlled military drones of the Tripoli GNA militias, which targeted a transportation plane allocated by the LNA to transport pilgrims from the Jufra area to Benina International Airport and there on to visit the Holy lands of Mecca”.

The LNA Air Force claimed that they had carried out “tens of raids” during which they “targeted more than 10 targets” selected with care and destroyed, including “an operation room, air defence and ammunition armory stored in military sites of the Misrata Air Academy base and Sirte base”.

The LNA said that its raids on Misrata revealed the existence of an “Italian military base”.

It said that the Italian authorities have been constantly denying the existence of any base in Misrata, and in Libya, while yesterday its Defence Ministry confirmed their stationing in Misrata and that no damage had been caused from LNA strikes to their Italian forces or the infrastructure used by its military units operating at the Misrata air base.

Italian media estimates 300 Italian troops to be stationed in Misrata.

Fighting on the ground

Meanwhile, in the fighting around Tripoli on the ground, the pro Hafter forces claim they had carried out “numerous attacks” on the Tripoli-defending forces in the Wadi Rabea and Airport Road areas.

At one stage they had claimed to have captured the Transport (Naqlia) barracks. But later on the Tripoli-defending forces claimed they had recaptured it.

Equally, yesterday, they had claimed to have cut off the main Tripoli to Misrata coastal road at Garabuli. But again this was not held in what they claimed was a strategic retreat.

Civilian areas hit

A school in the Hani district of Tripoli was hit by a shell yesterday causing some damage but no injuries or deaths.

A house was also hit by a shell in the central Dahra district of Tripoli causing infrastructural damage, but again there were no injuries or fatalities.

There were also reports of a shell falling on the El Badri housing district of Eastern Hadba.

Finally, an African worker was killed in the Granite/ Marble workshop in the Dalah Al-Deen district of south Tripoli. The migrant worker died when a shell fell on his living quarters.

https://www.libyaherald.com/2019/07/28/air-wars-escalate-libyan-fighting-to-jufra-and-misrata/

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