LNA Close to Capturing Ras Ajdir Border Crossing from GNA

LNA members equip the military vehicles to get out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya April 13, 2019. (Reuters)
LNA members equip the military vehicles to get out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya April 13, 2019. (Reuters)
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LNA Close to Capturing Ras Ajdir Border Crossing from GNA

LNA members equip the military vehicles to get out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya April 13, 2019. (Reuters)
LNA members equip the military vehicles to get out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya April 13, 2019. (Reuters)

The Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, announced it was close to capturing the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Tunisia from the Government of National Accord (GNA).

“A few kilometers sperate the army from seizing the portal,” said an LNA statement late on Wednesday. Ras Ajdir is the last remaining border crossing outside the army’s control.

Forces loyal to the GNA in the nearby city of Zuwara claimed however, that they were in control of Ras Ajdir, denying that the LNA was advancing on the region. The military said it had captured the region of Bou Kammash, 15 kilometers off Zuwara.

Meanwhile, the LNA’s Tariq bin Ziad brigade announced that it had seized control of the “Riqdalin road” military camp that is used by forces loyal to Osama al-Juwaili, one of the senior GNA military commanders. The Tariq bin Ziad forces also seized the nearby city of Zliten, east of Tripoli, amid cheers from the locals.

The brigade said its forces swept the city and secured it as mercenaries loyal to the GNA fled the area. The capture, therefore clears the path towards Ras Ajdir.

The crossing lies 170 kilometers west of Tripoli and was shut just days ago by Tunisian authorities over fears of the spread of the coronavirus. Ras Ajdir is one of two main crossings between Libya and Tunisia. The other is the Wazin and Dehiba crossing.



Fake Audio Sparks Deadly Sectarian Clashes Near Damascus

Syrian security forces secure the area following armed clashes in Jaramana town, near Damascus, Syria, 29 April 2025.  EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
Syrian security forces secure the area following armed clashes in Jaramana town, near Damascus, Syria, 29 April 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
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Fake Audio Sparks Deadly Sectarian Clashes Near Damascus

Syrian security forces secure the area following armed clashes in Jaramana town, near Damascus, Syria, 29 April 2025.  EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
Syrian security forces secure the area following armed clashes in Jaramana town, near Damascus, Syria, 29 April 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI

Twelve people were killed in clashes that erupted early Tuesday near the town of Jaramana, a Druze-majority area on the southern outskirts of Damascus, amid rising sectarian tensions, residents and local sources said.

In a statement, residents of Jaramana condemned what they described as prior “sectarian incitement” that preceded the violence. They warned against “falling into the trap of sedition, which serves only the enemies of Syria and its unity.”

The statement, which denounced the sectarian rhetoric, called on authorities to launch an “immediate and transparent investigation” and to hold accountable “all those who took part in, incited, or orchestrated this crime.”

The deadly clashes followed a wave of unrest triggered by a voice recording that circulated late Sunday into Monday, purportedly featuring Sheikh Marwan Kiwan from Sweida making derogatory remarks about Islamic holy figures.

The recording sparked anger and sporadic unrest in university dormitories in both Damascus and Homs, raising fears of wider sectarian strife.

Sheikh Kiwan later appeared in a video denying the voice was his and said the recording was fabricated to fuel sectarian division.

His denial was backed by an investigation from the Syrian Ministry of Interior, which called on the public to “respect public order and avoid any individual or collective actions that could endanger lives, property, or public security.”

Violent clashes in the southern outskirts of Damascus left at least five people dead and several others wounded.

Fighting broke out near the town of Jaramana after a hardline armed group launched a mortar attack from the direction of Maliha, targeting the al-Naseem checkpoint, residents said. Armed local groups in Jaramana responded, sparking several hours of clashes.

According to preliminary reports, five young men from Jaramana were killed and eight others injured.

Similar clashes erupted in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, another Druze-majority area, where local sources reported injuries among residents.

In response to the violence, authorities imposed a curfew in Jaramana, Sahnaya, and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, amid heightened security deployments and growing fears of further unrest.

The Syrian authorities could take meaningful steps toward transitional justice even before a dedicated commission is formed, including arresting and prosecuting individuals involved in human rights violations, the head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights said.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Fadel Abdul Ghany said the government has the ability to “pursue and detain those implicated in rights abuses as a preparatory step toward accountability.”

He cautioned against misconceptions about launching transitional justice efforts without adequate planning, saying, “One of the key mistakes made recently was the demand to begin the transitional justice process immediately, without first identifying the necessary procedural steps to ensure the process is independent from the executive branch and inclusive of all segments of society.”

To guarantee such independence, Abdul Ghany said the Transitional Justice Commission must be established by a legislative body, with clearly defined standards for appointing competent and impartial members.

He added that the commission must operate under the judicial system, which itself must be independent. “This requires time,” he said, “because it involves setting clear criteria for forming a Supreme Judicial Council and a Constitutional Court that are completely independent from the executive authority.”