Libya: LNA Downs Two Turkish Drones in Tripoli

Shell casings are seen on the ground during a fight between members of the Libyan internationally recognised government forces and Eastern forces in al-Yarmouk south of Tripoli, Libya (File Photo: Reuters)
Shell casings are seen on the ground during a fight between members of the Libyan internationally recognised government forces and Eastern forces in al-Yarmouk south of Tripoli, Libya (File Photo: Reuters)
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Libya: LNA Downs Two Turkish Drones in Tripoli

Shell casings are seen on the ground during a fight between members of the Libyan internationally recognised government forces and Eastern forces in al-Yarmouk south of Tripoli, Libya (File Photo: Reuters)
Shell casings are seen on the ground during a fight between members of the Libyan internationally recognised government forces and Eastern forces in al-Yarmouk south of Tripoli, Libya (File Photo: Reuters)

The Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced it has shot down two Turkish drones in Souk al-Khamis, south of Tripoli, during the past 24 hours.

Commander of LNA’s western military operations room, Maj. Gen. al-Mabrouk al-Ghazwi confirmed the downing of a Turkish drone south of Tripoli after it took off from “Turkish base in Mitiga,” saying it was a violation of the ceasefire declared in the region.

LNA spokesman, Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Mismari quoted Ghazwi as confirming his units’ readiness to deal with any threat that puts the security and safety of the capital and forces at risk.

Meanwhile, Russia accused Turkey of helping foreign fighters in crossing to Libyan territories, according to its Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov.

Russian media quoted Bogdanov as saying that Moscow does not see any indication of the willingness of the warring parties in Libya to implement the military and political decisions reached at the Berlin conference last month.

Bogdanov said he saw there was no indication that either of the warring parties supported “the basic principles” for resolving the crisis, with regard to military and political developments.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he would brief Security Council members on the progress made in implementing the conclusions of the Berlin Libya Conference on Libya, as well as that of the follow-up meeting on Libyan affairs held in Munich.

In a statement published by the office of the German Foreign Ministry before traveling to New York, Maas added that “the international community cannot stand idle in the face of the disastrous humanitarian situation.”

He indicated that members of the Security Council will talk about how further escalation can be avoided and access to humanitarian assistance ensured.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) stresses the importance of launching the Libyan political dialogue in Geneva.

However, House of Representatives (HoR) spokesman Abdullah Bleihaq assured Asharq Al-Awsat that there is no official representative of the council in the negotiations, pointing out that the delegation of five parliamentarians returned from Geneva.

The Media advisor to HoR Speaker, Fathi al-Marimi, said that the House suspended its participation in the Geneva dialogue as a result of the UN mission’s failure to respond to its questions and concerns regarding the names of independents, dialogue axes, and duration.

For his part, Eastern Libya’s foreign minister, Abdulhadi Lahweej, pointed that his government, parallel to the internationally recognized, did not agree with UNSMIL to form the delegation.

He explained in press statements his government could not force eastern tribesmen to lift an oil blockade that he said was a “popular decision.”

“We cannot use our power to lift the blockade,” Lahweej said, alleging that the Tripoli government was using revenues from oil to pay for thousands of mercenaries he said have come from Syria to help them.



War Shakes Middle East Airports, Passengers Held Hostage

Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)
Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)
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War Shakes Middle East Airports, Passengers Held Hostage

Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)
Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)

The Israeli-Iranian war has severely disrupted air traffic across the Middle East, causing widespread airport closures and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Travelers have been left stranded or forced to reroute their journeys amid altered takeoff and landing schedules, with many airports affected by military use of their airspace by both Tel Aviv and Tehran for warplanes, missiles, and drones.

Thousands of passengers have had to substitute flights with land or sea travel to avoid danger or endure long waits for alternate air transport.

Since the Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began in the early hours of last Friday, followed by Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks, the airspace over Israel, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq has been closed.

Aviation sources reported that more than 650 flights bound for Europe were canceled. Gulf and European carriers have suspended flights to countries caught in the conflict zone.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that airlines are now using safer flight routes, deliberately avoiding Iraqi, Syrian, Jordanian, and Lebanese airspace, as well as the fully closed skies of Israel and Iran.

Some carriers operating emergency flights to Beirut, Amman, and Egypt are following strict safety protocols.

Flights departing Beirut airport are routed westward over the Mediterranean Sea toward Cyprus and then Greece, before continuing to Europe or the Gulf, deliberately avoiding Lebanese, Syrian, and Iraqi airspace—a sharp contrast to pre-conflict routes.

Several Arab and European airlines, including Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, Air France, Transavia, Lufthansa, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Pegasus, continue to suspend flights to the region. The disruption has hit operations at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, which experienced chaos in the initial days of the war and widespread passenger panic.

However, the airport has since begun stabilizing. Amin Jaber, Director General of Civil Aviation at Rafic Hariri Airport, said the facility “has overcome the initial disruption quickly by implementing swift solutions for stranded travelers.”

He added that a newly formed crisis management committee is closely monitoring risks hour by hour to keep flights clear of security threats.

Jaber confirmed that the conflict “has forced the crisis committee to adopt multiple flight paths for arrivals and departures at Rafic Hariri Airport.”

“Due to security concerns, we rely on the western runway, which is the safest, and use Cypriot airspace to steer aircraft away from missile threats. Whenever missile launches are detected, Lebanese airspace is immediately closed to all flights,” Jaber added.

The disruptions seen at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport mirror the wider chaos across the region’s airports. Jaber said all airlines operating arrivals and departures at Beirut have comprehensive risk assessments in place.

Beirut airport experienced significant turmoil during the first two days of the conflict, with hundreds of passengers forced to wait indefinitely after numerous flight cancellations and schedule changes.

Many opted to leave the airport and return to the city amid the uncertainty. Jaber noted that conditions have since improved both at Beirut and other airports that have partially suspended operations.

Before any civilian aircraft takes off or lands, airport authorities and airlines ensure no immediate threats jeopardize the safety of planes or passengers.

Former Middle East Airlines (MEA) pilot Mohammad Aziz told Asharq Al-Awsat that flight safety responsibility rests not with pilots alone, but with the risk assessment committees, civil aviation authorities, airport management, and air traffic control towers guiding pilots during flight.

Aziz revealed that planes are equipped with large fuel reserves allowing extended flight time to accommodate emergencies requiring route changes or longer airborne holding patterns.

Currently serving as a safety and security advisor to MEA’s chairman, Captain Aziz highlighted that Rafic Hariri Airport is among the least vulnerable to missile threats because its flight paths are directed west and north. He warned, however, that the greatest danger lies in flights over Syrian territory.

“Despite this,” Aziz said, “Beirut airport management exercises the utmost caution. The control tower and airport authorities remain on high alert, maintaining constant communication with pilots to reroute or divert flights to alternate airports if evolving conditions threaten aircraft and passengers.”