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Western Libya Forces Take Gharyan Back from Hafter's Forces, American Mercenary Pilot, Jamie Sponaugle, Shot Down Near Tripoli

June 27, 2019

 

Forces of the Tripoli government enter Gharyan after defeating Hafter's forces in the city, Jume 26, 2019	UN envoy, Ghassan Salame, and the leader of eastern Libya, Khalifa Hfter, file, June 23, 2019

 

Gharyan Mayor confirms 9 soldiers killed in Gharyan liberation battle

Libya Observer, June 27, 2019

 Written by: SafaAlharathy

The Mayor of Gharyan Municipality, Yousef Bdairi confirmed, Wednesday, that nine of the Libyan Army soldiers were killed during the clashes that took place in Qawasm area yesterday, noting that six of them were from the city's residents.

Bdairi clarified that among the dead was a paramedic who was shot by Haftar's militias in his ambulance.

The Libyan Army declared yesterday, its full control of Gharyan city after launching a surprise attack from three axes.

Libyan Army forces retake Gharyan city in a major blow to Haftar's forces

Libya Observer, June 26, 2019 - 21:12

Written By: AbdulkaderAssad

The Libyan Army's Volcano of Rage Operation said Wednesday afternoon that it had seized control of most parts of Gharyan city, including military camps and operations room of Khalifa Haftar's forces.

Briefing media about the development, the operation said its forces had seized downtown Gharyan areas, the city's hospital and other major and vital institutions and areas in line with "a courageous uprising by the residents of Gharyan against the dictatorship."

Identical sources have also confirmed that the Libyan Army forces have had a full control over Gharyan after the defeat and pullout of Haftar's forces, saying the commander of Haftar's operations room I'm the city Abdelsalam Al-Hassi has fled the city.

"The Libyan Army forces entered Gharyan from three fighting axes and then seized major parts of the city." Gharyan municipality said

Volcano of Rage Operation's media office said Qwassim area and its residents in north Gharyan was a major assistance to the operation, saying the residents welcomed the Libyan Army fighters with happiness and relief.

Meanwhile, a military source said the operation to seize control of Gharyan was minutely planned and precisely executed by the Libyan Army forces in assistance with the Libyan Air Force after luring Haftar's forces into fighting on southern Tripoli frontlines like Tripoli International Airport and Qasir Benghashir to make them think they are the target, while Gharyan was the ultimate goal.

The source confirmed that other forces under the command of western and central military zones had gone to Shweirif and Garyat areas to encircle Haftar's forces fleeing Gharyan, saying a very unexpected surprise is in the making. 

Hafter forces suffer setback as they lose Gharian

By Sami Zaptia.

Libya Herald, London, 26 June 2019:

The Khalifa Hafter Libyan National Army (LNA) and their allied forces suffered a major set back today when the Tripoli forces aligned to the internationally recognized Faiez Serraj-led Presidency Council and Government of National Accord pushed them back to the north of Gharian.

The situation is still fluid with conflicting reports. However, it seems that at some point today, local forces aligned with Tripoli from either within or just outside Gharian – caught the pro Hafter forces by surprise forcing them to withdraw in haste.

The attack was also supported by air strikes.

Equally, it now seems that the heavy attack and focus by the Tripoli forces on the disused Tripoli International Airport may have been a decoy attack.

Alternatively, the pro Hafter forces may have over committed forces to the Tripoli Airport front leaving an opportunity for the Tripoli forces to exploit light cover in their back lines in Gharian.

The pro Hafter forces have been in control of the mountain city of Gharian since the eve of the launch by Hafter of the Tripoli attack on 4 April.

Climbing the steep and usually easily defendable road up to Gharian would be a major success for the Tripoli forces.

For example, during Libya’s 2011 revolution the Qaddafi troops had difficulty ascending the road – which was successfully defended from the advantage of height by anti Qaddafi forces.

Gharian is a major strategic launch point for the pro Hafter forces and its road offers vital access to the south and centre of Libya. Its permanent loss would affect supply lines and the dynamics of the Tripoli fighting. It could be a game changer.

The latest development also weakens the pro-Hafter forces concentrated down on the plane in and around the disused Tripoli International Airport, leaving them isolated and vulnerable.

However, it is yet to be seen if the local Tripoli-aligned forces can hold their Gharian territorial gains and whether the Tripoli forces can reach and link up with them to consolidate today’s gains.

Today’s sudden front line movement comes after weeks of stalemate along all fronts in the Tripoli fighting.

During today’s press conference, Official LNA Spokesperson Ahmed Mesmari, deflected questions on the the setback.

LNA captured Portuguese mercenary pilot turns out to be US citizen – freed to Saudis

By Sami Zaptia.

Libya Herald, London, 26 June 2019:

The mercenary fighter pilot captured after being allegedly shot down near Tripoli in early May by the Khalifa Hafter aligned Libyan National Army (LNA) forces, has turned out to be a U.S. citizen.

The captured pilot, photographed bleeding and receiving treatment from LNA forces, had initially claimed his name was Jimmy Rees and that he was Portuguese.

It now transpires, according to the Washington Post who broke the story, that he is a U.S. Air Force veteran named Jamie Sponaugle from Miami.

It reported that he was released yesterday to Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom acted as intermediary for the U.S.

It is still unclear why the American was flying a Mirage F1 fighter jet for the Faiez Serraj internationally recognized Presidency Council and Government of National Accord (PC/GNA).

Salame meets Hafter in eastern Libya

By Sami Zaptia.

 

Libya Herald, London, 23 June 2019:

‫UNSMIL head, Ghassan Salame‬⁩, met with Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, at Hafter’s headquarters in Al-Rajmeh (eastern Libya) yesterday.

UNSMIL reported that they discussed “the circumstances that led to the outbreak of current fighting, the humanitarian situation in Tripoli. They also discussed ways to accelerate the transition towards reaching a political solution.‬”

Salame is attempting to put an end to the Tripoli fighting started by Hafter on 4 April which seems to be stalled on the southern edges of the capital.

The UNSMIL head is keen to bring both parties back to the negotiation table in an effort to find a political solution. He may have been encouraged to seek this by the stalemate in the fighting.

However, in an exclusive interview given to an eastern Libya based publication last week, Hafter said that while he was in favour of a political solution to the Libyan crisis, this could only come after Tripoli was liberated from “Islamists.. militias.. and terrorists”.

In an effort to gain support and maybe encourage some pressure on Hafter for a return to dialogue, Salame also travelled to Benghazi today where he met it’s municipality leaders.

UNSMIL reported that Salame will also meet with a broad range of political and social figures, civil society and notables from the region.

UNSMIL reported that Salame fedback to his eastern hosts “on his tireless efforts to find a minimum level of consensus in the international community on the Libyan crisis”.

It also reported that the eastern tribal leaders “called on the UN to work towards achieving a fair distribution of Libyan wealth”.

The equitable distribution of Libya’s rentier-state wealth by western Libya (Tripoli) is an oft quoted grievance by the rest of Libya outside Tripoli – and especially by eastern Libya.

Eastern Libya was particularly marginalized by the Qaddafi regime as a result of its resistance to its rule.

The tribal leaders also discussed “ways to find a solution to the Libyan crisis and steer the country back towards stability, security and prosperity”.

Tripoli forces claim successes and accuse Hafter of using cluster bombs and internationally banned phosphorus bombs

By Sami Zaptia.

Libya Herald, London, 20 June 2019:

The Faiez Serraj-aligned Volcano of Rage Operations Room (Burkan Alghadab), which coordinates the fight against the Khalifa Hafter forces, claimed in a press briefing yesterday that they have achieved several successes in the battlefield and accuse the Hafter forces of using cluster bombs and internationally banned phosphorus bombs.

Their claims come as reports indicate increased fighting in and around the disused Tripoli International Airport.

The Tripoli forces claimed that their forces are ‘‘hunting the outlaw (Hafter) militias at Tripoli airport and other locations after their supply has been cut off’’. They also claim that a plane that targeted Tajura hospital three days ago was also destroyed.

They also claim that over the previous 24 hours, their Air Force destroyed a convoy of nine ammunition containers heading towards the capital Tripoli after receiving information about its recent arrival from the countries sponsoring the ‘‘coup against the legitimacy, which is led by the war criminal Haftar’’.

The Tripoli forces also maintain that their Air Force carried out eight combat missions yesterday targeting enemy positions and vehicles in the vicinity of Tripoli and Gharian, where sites were directly targeted, which facilitated subsequent successes.

They also claim that their air force totally destroyed a C-15 plane loaded with ammunition at al-Witiya airbase, as it was preparing to take off to support Hafter’s forces at the disused Tripoli International Airport.

The briefing also claimed that their artillery targeted Haftar’s forces at the disused Tripoli International Airport, which Hafter’s forces use as a base, and from where they claim Hafter’s forces previously fired rockets at residential neighbourhoods in the capital.

The Tripoli forces claimed that on Tuesday they took control of enemy defences in the airport, Al-Yarmouk, Al-Nahr and Ain Zara frontlines, and seized four armed vehicles left behind by the fleeing militias and destroyed two other armoured vehicles and a UAE armoured vehicle.

Accusing the Hafter forces of continuing their war crimes/crimes against human rights, the Tripoli forces claimed that ‘‘foreign warplanes’’ supporting Hafter bombed civilian sites in Tripoli and its suburbs, destroying stores belonging to Mellitah Oil Company in Tajura, which they say is the fourth time the Hafter forces attacked oil sites after destroying a building for the North Africa Geophysical Exploration Company and a health care facility belonging to the oil sector in addition to a liquefied gas store. ‘‘They will not get away with it’’, they added.

With regards to military engineers and to the de-mining and war remnants teams who are constantly working to clear civilian areas, the Tripoli forces claim that they discovered the use of a 250 kg and 250 kg cluster bombs by Hafter, as well as the use of internationally banned phosphorus bombs in the areas of Bir al Ghanam, Swani, Aziziya, Tugaz Mosque and others.

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