Pro-Gaddafi Group Uncovered in Libyan Capital

Late Libyan leader Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)
Late Libyan leader Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)
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Pro-Gaddafi Group Uncovered in Libyan Capital

Late Libyan leader Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)
Late Libyan leader Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)

A force loyal to the government of national accord announced that it had thwarted a terrorist plot in the Libyan capital Tripoli plotted by loyalists of the regime of late leader Moammar al-Gaddafi.

A deterrence force in the Interior Ministry of PM Fayez al-Sarraj’s government arrested a cell that was planning military operations with others, which are affiliated with the so-called Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya.

It said that it had received information that an armed group was seeking to create chaos in Tripoli and its suburbs.

The group had set up an operations room south of the capital with the support of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya.

Following investigations and surveillance operations, the members of the group were arrested. They included three senior officers from the Libyan army and four civilians.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya describes itself as a new political organization that includes supporters of the Gaddafi regime. They believe that the February 2011 uprising was a conspiracy against Libya, reported the German news agency.

The Front was established on December 26, 2016 and its founder revealed that it was led by Gaddafi’s son, Seif al-Isalm.

The group is aimed at liberating Libya from militias, with the support of pro-Gaddafi tribes.

Seif al-Islam has not commented on these claims.



US Says Committed to 'Diplomatic Resolution' in Lebanon

FILE - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks in Greenwich, London, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool, File)
FILE - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks in Greenwich, London, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool, File)
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US Says Committed to 'Diplomatic Resolution' in Lebanon

FILE - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks in Greenwich, London, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool, File)
FILE - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks in Greenwich, London, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool, File)

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that the United States was dedicated to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon and urged Israel to improve "dire" conditions in Gaza, in a call Saturday with his Israeli counterpart.

Austin "reiterated US commitment to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon that allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the border" in his call with Israel Katz, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

Austin also "urged the Government of Israel to continue to take steps to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and emphasized the US commitment to securing the release of all hostages, including US citizens."

Lebanon said Saturday that an Israeli air strike in the heart of Beirut that brought down a residential building and jolted residents across the city killed at least 11 people.

Israel stepped up its campaign against the Hezbollah militant group in late September, targeting its strongholds in Lebanon.

Lebanon's health ministry says at least 3,645 people have been killed since October 2023, when Hezbollah began trading fire with Israel in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.

The United Nations and others have repeatedly decried humanitarian conditions, particularly in northern Gaza, where Israel said Friday it had killed two commanders involved in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.

In the call with Katz, Austin also discussed ongoing Israeli operations and reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad commitment to Israel's security," the Pentagon said.