...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...'s offensive on Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
has entered the second month without any solid achievement, that is the entry to Tripoli, which was scheduled by Haftar in the span of 48 hours.
Clashes between Haftar's forces and the Libyan Army forces under the Presidential Council's government command are still ongoing with the latter taking an offensive stance contrary to the defensive one taken in the first weeks of the attack.
On Sunday, fighting intensified in Tuwaysha, Qasir Benghashir and Zatarna areas, with sources reporting that the Volcano of Rage Operation forces advanced in Qasir Benghashir frontline and would soon be in control of Afiya Hospital and Funduk al-Sharif areas, which are currently under Haftar's forces control.
"Our forces destroyed several military vehicles for Haftar's forces and advanced on Tripoli International Airport frontline ringing in the remaining fighters in south of the airport." Sources from the operation said.
Clashes in al-Zatarna, southern Tajoura, were an exchange of artillery without a remarkable advance from any side.
Air Force of the Libyan Army forces under the Presidential Council's government command carried out 9
s on Haftar's forces positions in Gharyan, al-Watiya airbase, Beer al-Alem, and Wadi Rabea, on the other hand, Haftar's warplanes targeted an area near al-Zahraa Brigade without reported casualties, according to the sources.They added that several fighters from Haftar's forces had been captured, while others had been killed including a prominent big shot in Tuwaysha.
The UNSMIL, meanwhile, called on all parties to commit to an extendable one-week humanitarian truce
..The purposes of a truce are twofold: 1.) bring up more arms, ammunition, and reinforcements; and 2.) get the enemy to relax his vigilance. A
truceis not the same thing as a
ceasefire, and a
ceasefiredoesn't mean you have to stop shooting...
, however; no party has so far issued a reply to the UNSMIL's call.