Libyan Warlord Haftar’s Siege On Tripoli Finally Over As UN-Backed Govt Declares Victory

Via AlMasdarNews.com,

The Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) announced on Thursday, its control of all administrative borders of the capital, Tripoli, including Tripoli International Airport.

The spokesman for the forces of the Government of National Accord, Colonel Mohammad Qanunu, said in a statement Thursday, that their forces have taken control of all the administrative borders of the capital.

The official Twitter page for the GNA’s operation published a tweet by Colonel Salah Al-Namroush, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense in the Al-Wefaq government, in which he said: “Our forces continued their progress this morning and chased the terrorist militias and expelled them from the walls of Greater Tripoli, and the retreat of a number those from the airport to Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli.”

International headlines are calling it the final death blow Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s lengthy offensive to take the capital, and thus the entire country:

A 14 month-siege of Libya’s capital Tripoli by the renegade general Khalifa Haftar ended in failure on Thursday when his forces retreated from the south of the city toward his heartlands in the south and the east of the country.

The interior minister of the UN-recognized government of national accord (GNA), Fathi Bashagha, hailed “the beginning of the end of the entire dictatorship project”, and urged cities under Haftar’s control to rise up against him and spare themselves further conflict.

#LIBYA – After the liberation of the al-Watiya air base and yesterday’s capture of the Tripoli International Airport, it is clear that Warlord Haftar has lost the war for the capital. #GNA leader al-Sarraj is visiting Turkish President Erdogan today. pic.twitter.com/hyFbXd0adu

— Ali Özkök (@Ozkok_A) June 4, 2020

In turn, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stefan Diogaric, announced yesterday that the Libyan-Military Committee in the form of “5 + 5” has resumed its work.

Diogaric told a news conference that “the JMC in (5 + 5) resumed its work today (yesterday) Wednesday – there was a meeting chaired by the UN Special Envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams. This meeting was of course via video technology.”

#Libya

First photos of #Tripoli airport after its liberation by #GNA forces a few moments ago.#Turkey #Erdoğan #Haftar #Russia #UAE #ليبيا #نركيا #حفتر #روسيا #الإمارات pic.twitter.com/PMH4OJ1HhS

— Mourad Teyeb (@MouradTeyeb) June 3, 2020

Diogaric added: “A similar meeting with the delegation of the Government of National Accord is expected in the coming days. Negotiations will continue on the agreement on the ceasefire and related arrangements.”

On Wednesday morning, Fayez al-Sarraj’s government forces announced that they had proceeded to carefully storm Tripoli International Airport, claiming that there were large quantities of mines.

The recapture of the Tripoli International Airport is a major moment for the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces, as they were forced to rely on flights from the Mitiga Airport.