Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar announced this morning (Monday, 6 January) his troops entered the coastal city of Sirte and seized Ghardabiya airport and the country’s biggest military base from militias loyal to the Tripoli government. The Misrata forces, which previously took the city from Islamic State and then assigned to protect the city have now retreated, but are likely to return with bigger forces.
Haftar’s incursions and troop movement are taking place while a military building is underway. ItaMilRadar, a monitor of military flights in the Mediterranean Sea, said it tracked a number of Russian military planes flying in and out of Libya, including an Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD and AF Tu-154M. It said a Russian Air Force Tupolev M154-TU landed in Benghazi airport. The nature of the flight is unknown. ItaMilRadar also tracked an Emirates Boeing aircraft about a week ago in flight over western Egypt before disappearing from all tracking sites after entering the Libyan airspace.
Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as saying on Sunday that Turkish military units had started moving to Libya to support the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli. Detailing the upcoming Turkish presence, Erdogan said “There will be an operation center (in Libya), there will be a Turkish lieutenant general leading and they will be managing the situation over there. (Turkish soldiers) are gradually moving there right now.
Turkish News Agency reported Saturday that ground, air and marine forces will be sent to Libya along with warships and submarines as well as IHA and SIHA drones, warplanes, freighters and infantry. Turkish forces will also train security and military officers of the Presidential Council’s government and provide humanitarian aids to the people in need on the areas in which they will be located.
