GNA militias spread allegations, violate ceasefire in Tripoli

Mustafa Kamel

Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) militias have begun to follow in the footsteps of the Brotherhood by pretending piety and spreading false allegations to cover up their violations in the wake of the Covid-19 corona virus pandemic, having violated all declared truces to reduce the spread of the virus. The GNA’s interior minister has published these allegations to make the world believe in the alleged injustice it faces as Libyan National Army (LNA) forces conduct military patrols in the capital Tripoli to repel any aggression or infiltration by the GNA militias.

Military patrols

The LNA’s Western Region Operations Group, commanded by Major General Al-Mabrouk al-Ghazwi, have been conducting several joint patrols of military units and security services in areas under LNA control in Tripoli, in anticipation of any attacks or operations carried out by the militias loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj’s GNA following their defeat.

The LNA inflicted heavy losses on the militias in the city, as its air defenses shot down drones that had provided air cover for the militias during their attack on the city, which is 65km southeast of the capital and represents an important base for the LNA. A Turkish drone attempting to bomb the LNA’s supply and fuel trucks in the city of Bani Walid in northwest Libya was also shot down.

LNA spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mesmari confirmed that the GNA militias are still striving as much as possible to reorganize their ranks and that the advance on Al-Watiya base was primarily aimed at covering up their losses suffered in Tarhuna.

Mesmari stressed that the LNA is fighting terrorist organizations led by Turkey and the Brotherhood, adding that terrorist elements who fled from Benghazi and Derna are now fighting LNA forces in Ain Zara. He noted that a very dangerous Egyptian terrorist likely affiliated with al-Qaeda was caught fighting among the ranks of the terrorist militias in Tripoli. The terrorist, named Mohammad Mohammad al-Sayyid but also known as Mohammad El-Sanbakhti and Abu Khaled Mounir, was an assistant to the terrorist Hesham al-Ashmawy. He was captured by the intelligence services after having been monitored in ​​Tripoli since September 2019 and was successfully transferred to the city of Benghazi.

False allegations

GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha began spreading false allegation in order to cover up the GNA’s truce violations and not submitting to international measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 corona virus.

Bashagha claimed that the LNA used nerve gas against the GNA’s militias south of Tripoli, who were paralyzed and then sniped, attempting to sidestep around the GNA’s own violations.

Meanwhile, the GNA minister expressed his concern about the attempts of some countries hostile to Libya to find a place for themselves in the country’s south, saying, “We will not allow foreigners dreaming of a new imperialism in the region to find their goals,” completely ignoring that Sarraj’s government did exactly this by allowing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to interfere in Libya by sending mercenaries from Syrian factions backed by Ankara and supporting the GNA’s militia’s to stand against the LNA.