UN-backed forces in Libya launch airstrikes as Hifter withdraws
The Government of National Accord has struck the rebel commander’s stronghold for his western operations, destroying two military vehicles.
Libya's UN-supported government has carried out a series of airstrikes against retreating forces loyal to renegade commander Khalifa Hifter, a spokesman said Thursday.
The Government of National Accord (GNA) conducted five air operations in the city of Tarhuna, destroying two military vehicles and an ammunition carrier, said military spokesman Col. Mohamed Qanunu.
The air attacks come as Hifter and his so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) have suffered a series of defeats, most recently losing two towns and a key air base to pro-GNA forces.
Libya has been embroiled in conflict since the ousting of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations now controlling opposite ends of the country. For the past year, the LNA has been staging an offensive on southern parts of the capital, Tripoli, where the internationally recognized GNA is based.
