Libyan army prepares to recapture Tamanhant air base

The Libyan army, led by Marshal Khalifa Hafter, prepares for an impending battle with the armed elements in the south of the country, especially after they gained control of the cities of Benghazi and Ajdabiya and recovered the oil crescent from the militias of the Benghazi defense brigades. The military sources revealed that battalions of the Libyan National Army went to "Tamnhant" airbase in the south of the country, in conjunction with the movement of the "Martyrs of the corner" brigades to the south.

One of the battalions of the Libyan army, led by Colonel Meftah Shklov, is stationed in the Libyan desert near the southern city of Sabha in preparation for the anticipated confrontation with the terrorists. A few days ago, Brigadier General Mohammed Bin Nayel forces headed towards Tamanhant air base, where his soldiers clashed with elements of the third force coming from the city of Misurata.

In conjunction with this attack, aircraft of the Libyan army carried out air raids targeting the sites of elements loyal to the Libyan Presidential Council at the base of Tamanhant. An aircraft belonging to the forces loyal to the Presidential Council responded by targeting one of Ben Nayel's headquarters in the area of Barak Beach, but the raid missed the target.

As the Libyan army advanced towards Tamanhant, the Ministry of Defense of the Presidential Council led by Mahdi Barghouthi, announced the launch of a military operation to confront the Libyan army in the south, called the "Promised Hope." There is currently a climate of cautious calm on the areas and cities of the south of Libya, amid reinforcements sent there by the Libyan army and other armed forces.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Libyan army, Khalifa Hafter, stressed that he did not discuss with the Russian side the idea of ​​establishing a Russian military base on Libyan territory. "This issue has never been discussed at all with the Russians, and we do not think that Moscow has the desire or the need to establish a military base in Libya," Hafter said.

The UN envoy and head of its support mission in Libya, Martin Kobler, described his meeting with Hafter as good, adding that the meeting focused on obstacles to implementing the Libyan political agreement and how to move forward. 

Haftar received at his office at the headquarters of the General Command in the eastern region of al-Rajmeh on Thursday, UN envoy and head of its support mission in Libya Martin Kobler. The General Information Office of the General Command said on its Facebook page that Kobler's meeting with Hafter reviewed a number of difficulties and obstacles facing the political agreement without giving further details.