Intermittent Clashes in Libyan Capital, UN Slams Threat to People's Lives

Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, during shelling on May 9, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, during shelling on May 9, 2020. (AFP Photo)
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Intermittent Clashes in Libyan Capital, UN Slams Threat to People's Lives

Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, during shelling on May 9, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, during shelling on May 9, 2020. (AFP Photo)

Clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, and forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, eased on Friday after two days of intense fighting at the majority of the frontlines around the capital, Tripoli.

Intermittent clashes was reported on Friday as the NATO said it is prepared to help the GNA in the area of "defense and security institution building", in response to a request by Sarraj to assist it to "strengthen its security institutions."

"Any NATO assistance to Libya would take account of political and security conditions, and would be provided in full complementarity and in close coordination with other international efforts, including those of the UN and the EU," said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a main backer of the GNA.

The GNA on Friday showed footage of an attack against a grad rocket launcher it claimed the LNA had used in an attack on Tripoli hospital and the capital's Tariq al-Soor neighborhood.

In a brief statement, the LNA said its artillery struck an ammunition depot in Ain Zara, south of Tripoli.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya said UN humanitarian agencies in Libya condemned all attacks that endangered the lives of civilians and prevented them from accessing life-saving services.

Acting UNSMIL special representative Stephanie Williams briefed on Thursday the International Follow-up Committee on Libya, convened under Italy's co-chairmanship. In a brief statement, it called on its members to "uphold the Berlin commitments to ensure an immediate cessation of hostilities, a resumption of the political process and alleviate the suffering of the civilian population."

It revealed that since the beginning of the year, 17 health facilities have been attacked in Libya.

Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, renewed on Thursday the organization's call for a ceasefire in Libya so that efforts can be focused on the fight against the novel coronavirus.



Airlines Avoid Some Mideast Airspace, Cancel Flights

People walk with their luggage as they arrive at the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
People walk with their luggage as they arrive at the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Airlines Avoid Some Mideast Airspace, Cancel Flights

People walk with their luggage as they arrive at the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
People walk with their luggage as they arrive at the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and cancelling flights to Israel and Lebanon, as concerns grow over a possible conflict in the region after the killing of senior Hamas and Hezbollah members this week.

Singapore Airlines on Friday appeared to no longer be using Iranian airspace for any of its routes, according to flight tracker Flightradar24.

Taiwan's EVA Air and China Airlines also appeared to be avoiding Iran airspace for flights to Amsterdam on Friday which previously had flown over Iran, Flightradar24 data showed.

In a bulletin, OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares flight risk information, advised traffic between Asia and Europe to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace, a day after sources told Reuters that top Iranian officials will meet the representatives of Iran's regional allies from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to discuss potential retaliation against Israel.

Many airlines, including US and European airlines, already avoid flying over Iran, especially since the reciprocal missile and drone attacks in April between Iran and Israel.

Singapore Airlines' flight to London Heathrow early on Friday went north of Iran through Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, rather than crossing through Iran as it did the day before, Flightradar24 showed.

However, a significant number of airlines on Friday were still flying over Iran, including United Arab Emirates carriers Etihad, Emirates and FlyDubai, as well as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.

Over the past two days, Air India, Germany's Lufthansa Group, US carriers United Airlines and Delta Air, and Italy's ITA Airways said they had suspended flights to Tel Aviv.

Airlines this week have also been cancelling and delaying flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut after a strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. Israel has blamed the attack on Hezbollah, which denied involvement.

Canada on Thursday issued a notice to Canadian aircraft to avoid Lebanese airspace for one month due to the risk to aviation from military activity.

Britain has for the past month advised pilots of potential risk from anti-aircraft weaponry and military activity in Lebanon's airspace.

Should an all-out war break out in the Middle East, OpsGroup said civil aviation will likely face the risk of drones and missiles crossing airways, as well as the increased risk of GPS spoofing - a growing phenomena around Lebanon and Israel where militaries and other actors broadcast signals that trick a plane's GPS system into thinking it is somewhere it is not.