Libyan National Army Prepares for Air Battle by Downing 7 Turkish Drones

A destroyed and burnt tank is seen in Gharyan south of Tripoli Libya June 27, 2019. (Reuters)
A destroyed and burnt tank is seen in Gharyan south of Tripoli Libya June 27, 2019. (Reuters)
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Libyan National Army Prepares for Air Battle by Downing 7 Turkish Drones

A destroyed and burnt tank is seen in Gharyan south of Tripoli Libya June 27, 2019. (Reuters)
A destroyed and burnt tank is seen in Gharyan south of Tripoli Libya June 27, 2019. (Reuters)

The Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, announced on Friday the downing of seven Turkish drones, in what was interpreted as a response to Ankara’s warning to the military of “grave consequences” if its interests in Libya were attacked.

Hours after Ankara’s threat, the LNA announced that its air defenses shot down seven Turkish drones in various regions in less than six hours.

The LNA said drones of the “Turkish invaders” were downed in the Qaryat and Abou al-Gharib regions south of Bani Walid and Tarhuna cities. Another aircraft was shot down over Wishka.

This takes to 90 the number of drones downed by the LNA since it launched its operation to liberate Tripoli in April 2019.

The LNA also announced the destruction of 20 Government of National Accord (GNA) armored vehicles in an airstrike in Gharyan city.

Politically, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the flow of weapons to Libya.

Pompeo placed a phone call to GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj to "reiterate US opposition to the continued level of weapons and munitions being brought into the country," the State Department said.

The statement was seen as a jab at Turkey that has been backing the GNA with weapons.

Pompeo and Sarraj "emphasized the importance of an immediate halt to the fighting and return to political dialogue," a statement said.

Fighting on Thursday centered around al-Asbiah, some 120 kilometers west of Tripoli. LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said the military carried out a series of airstrikes against Turkish President Recep Tayyip “Erdogan’s takfiri militias” in Asbiah and the surrounding regions.

Mismari said four warplanes have become newly available after they were out of service for a long time. He added that LNA teams succeeded in refurbishing them, without specifying the type of aircraft, but promising “excellent results” from them.

“The time has come for them to be used at their maximum fire power,” he stressed.

The GNA, meanwhile, did not announce any new accomplishment on the ground, with a spokesman calling on the residents of Tarhuna, Wishka, Mizdah and Sirte to steer clear of LNA positions. The GNA will provide safe passage for trapped civilians.

In Tarhuna, after days of military buildup, the GNA said it was blocking the coastal road stretching from Castelverde to al-Qoaah, claiming it was protecting civilians from the LNA’s arbitrary shelling.

The GNA had recently launched an attack in an attempt to recapture Tarhuna from the LNA.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya, meanwhile, expressed its concern over the latest fighting in the country.

In a terse statement, it said it “is following with great concern the military developments and mobilization around the city of Tarhuna. UNSMIL reminds all parties of their obligations in accordance with international humanitarian law and warns against any acts of retribution, including attacks against civilians, extrajudicial punishments, looting, robberies and torching of public and private properties. UNSMIL calls on all parties to refrain from military escalation and resort to peaceful means.”



Arab League Urges UN Security Council to Stop Israeli Assault against Palestinian People

A man prepares meals to be distributed to displaced Palestinians in front of a leveled building in Gaza City on November 2, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A man prepares meals to be distributed to displaced Palestinians in front of a leveled building in Gaza City on November 2, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Arab League Urges UN Security Council to Stop Israeli Assault against Palestinian People

A man prepares meals to be distributed to displaced Palestinians in front of a leveled building in Gaza City on November 2, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A man prepares meals to be distributed to displaced Palestinians in front of a leveled building in Gaza City on November 2, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

The Arab League urged on Saturday the UN Security Council and the international community to assume their responsibilities and exert pressure on Israel to stop its assaut against the Palestinian people and to ensure that it provides all humanitarian assistance needed by the people in Gaza Strip.

In a statement marking the 107th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Arab League urged Britain and all the other countries that did not recognize the Palestinian state to take this step in support of peace in line with the two-state solution.

It emphasized that the only way to achieve just, comprehensive and lasting peace is to end the Israeli occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories occupied since 1967, and to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital according to international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

"The Balfour Declaration continues to be a profound wound in the human conscience due to the Nakba that the Palestinian people have experienced and the ongoing deprivation of their legitimate and inalienable rights to freedom and independence. This refers to the Israeli occupation's violations and practices, settlement and Judaization, annexation and siege, the destruction of the Palestinian people's livelihoods, and the desecration of their religious shrines," the Arab League statement said.

It stressed that Israel's continued crimes and violations are a reflection of the international community's inability to fulfil its obligations and assume its responsibilities in resisting aggression and occupation, protecting the Palestinian people.

It must ask Israel to comply with the principles of international law and relevant resolutions in a manner that ends the occupation and allows the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination in an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Arab League stressed that Israel continues to insist on expanding the area of its hostilities to include Lebanon and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights despite the imminent danger of a regional war.

Moreover, the Israeli Knesset's decision to ban UNRWA's work in the occupied Palestinian territories is an additional flagrant violation of the UN Charter, of the international will, and of all human values.

The aim of this step is to destroy generations of Palestinians for whom the UN agency represents a lifeline in catastrophic humanitarian conditions. It is imperative that Israel stop these crimes and protect the agency's work in accordance with its UN mandate.