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Libya's Hifter sets his sights on the capital following Benghazi victory

The Libyan National Army, operating under the command of Gen. Khalifa Hifter, declared victory in Benghazi after ousting Islamists, further consolidating the role Hifter could play in shaping Libya's future.
General Khalifa Haftar, commander in the Libyan National Army (LNA), leaves after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RTSTRWB
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Gen. Khalifa Hifter declared full victory over a coalition of Islamists in Benghazi, in eastern Libya, after nearly three years of fighting that left much of Libya’s second largest city in ruins.

In his July 6 victory speech, Hifter appeared confident that his mission to “liberate” the rest of Libya from what he called “terror” is going well, but he did not say if this means there will be more fighting in western Libya, including the capital Tripoli. Noteworthy, though, Hifter appeared to be reconciliatory toward other military opponents as he called the recent liberation of Sirte from the Islamic State (IS) a “national achievement” instead of dismissing it as a game, as he did before. When rival forces from Misrata, who are aligned with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), liberated Sirte from IS in December 2016, Hifter dismissed the victory as nothing but a game between different militias.

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