LNA Forces Go on High Alert amid Concerns over Possible Turkish Attacks

A picture from the graduation ceremony of GNA forces in Tajoura near Tripoli in November 2020 (AFP)
A picture from the graduation ceremony of GNA forces in Tajoura near Tripoli in November 2020 (AFP)
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LNA Forces Go on High Alert amid Concerns over Possible Turkish Attacks

A picture from the graduation ceremony of GNA forces in Tajoura near Tripoli in November 2020 (AFP)
A picture from the graduation ceremony of GNA forces in Tajoura near Tripoli in November 2020 (AFP)

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, launched attacks against the Government of National Accord (GNA) targets in Ubari and Sabha cities, south of Libya.

It also announced taking control over the headquarters of the military region in Sabha and storming Ubari’s Tendi military camp.

GNA sources, however, announced thwarting the attack, stressing that LNA forces withdrew to the city’s outskirts.

The sudden developments might disrupt the course of the political process led by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSML).

Also, LNA's Karama Operations Room requested Saturday all its military units in the strategic city of Sirte to remain on high alert, in anticipation of any possible attack by the Turkish-backed GNA forces.

LNA spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mismari urged citizens to report “any presence of Turkish militias, mercenaries and invaders.”

Commander of the West Sirte Liberation Operations Room Major General Ahmed Salem ordered that all officers and conscripts be banned from leaving for holidays, as well as preventing them from leaving their workplace until further notice.

Salem did not provide further details over the decision.

However, LNA military sources said the measures come after armed militias and Turkish forces were reportedly mobilizing in several GNA sites.

Meanwhile, Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Stephanie Williams hosted on Friday a virtual meeting to inform the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum ( LPDF) participants of the results of the voting process that was held earlier to select a proposal for a selection mechanism for the unified executive authority.

The meeting was held following the conclusion of the two-day consultation process that took place on Dec.3-4, during which LPDF members cast votes to select one of the presented proposals.

Williams said 71 LPDF members participated in the process; one member was unable to participate for health-related reasons and three members abstained.

She pointed out that 39 LPDF members voted for the second proposal, 24 LPDF members voted for the third proposal, while eight 8 LPDF members voted for proposal number 10.

She also reaffirmed UNSMIL’s commitment to and respect for the decision of the LPDF members taken during the recent in-person meeting in Tunisia, according to which decisions should be reached on a consensual basis.



Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
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Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo

Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns.

Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said.

"I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese.

Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said.

The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria.

UN agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December.

That has changed.

Since taking over, the new Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A UN survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power.

"While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (UN refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters.

As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighboring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon.