LNA Makes Advances in Southern Libya, Nears Tripoli

The LNA was one step close to capturing southern Libya. (AFP)
The LNA was one step close to capturing southern Libya. (AFP)
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LNA Makes Advances in Southern Libya, Nears Tripoli

The LNA was one step close to capturing southern Libya. (AFP)
The LNA was one step close to capturing southern Libya. (AFP)

The Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, was on the verge of capturing Sabha after Government National Accord (GNA) forces surprisingly withdrew from the southern city.

A military official told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was “only a matter of time” before the LNA imposes its control over the South.

The operation it is waging is going according to plan, he said on condition of anonymity.

The move would put the LNA one step closer to GNA-held Tripoli.

Commander of the GNA’s sixth infantry unit, Ahmed al-Ataybi, had accused head of the government, Fayez al-Sarraj, of not providing enough support to his forces, prompting their surprise withdrawal.

Moreover, the source predicted that clashes may erupt between extremists and some members of the al-Toubou tribes.

Meanwhile, the LNA denied that it was biased towards any social segment in the South.

Spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said Saturday that claims of bias are aimed at “stoking strife between the people and legitimate authorities.”

His remarks appear to be in response to media and activists’ circulation of videos that show LNA forces using racial slurs against the residents of Sabha and neighboring areas.

The videos sparked the ire of the Toubou tribes, which make up the bulk of the South’s population, especially Sabha.

The tribes denied claims that they were supporting and harboring Chadian opposition groups, but said that they enjoy social and historic bonds with Chad and Niger.



Rescuers Say Israeli Strike Killed at Least 12 People in South Gaza 

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)
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Rescuers Say Israeli Strike Killed at Least 12 People in South Gaza 

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)

The civil defense agency in Gaza said an Israeli strike on a tent housing displaced Palestinians near the southern city of Khan Younis on Wednesday killed at least 12 people.  

"At least 12 people were killed, including several children and women, in a strike by an Israeli drone this morning on a tent for displaced persons" near Khan Younis, the agency's spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that four more people had been killed in other strikes.  

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.  

Since a truce collapsed in March, Israel has intensified its operations to destroy Hamas, the Palestinian group whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war in Gaza. 

Hamas's unprecedented attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. 

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,240 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,510, mostly civilians.