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Libyan National Army Warns of Possible Attack on its Sirte Positions

Government of National Accord forces during a clash with the Libyan National Army in Tripoli, Libya. File photo: Reuters
Government of National Accord forces during a clash with the Libyan National Army in Tripoli, Libya. File photo: Reuters
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Libyan National Army Warns of Possible Attack on its Sirte Positions

Government of National Accord forces during a clash with the Libyan National Army in Tripoli, Libya. File photo: Reuters
Government of National Accord forces during a clash with the Libyan National Army in Tripoli, Libya. File photo: Reuters

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has warned militias loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) against attacking its positions in Sirte and al-Jufra regions.

LNA spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mismari issued a statement pointing out that the army received confirmed intel regarding criminal and terrorist militias planning an aggression against its forces, which is expected to precede an attack on the Sirte-al-Jafra front and army positions.

He also explained that militias are mobilizing their forces and carrying out advanced reconnaissance missions, stressing that the LNA forces are committed to the ceasefire to ensure the success of the political process.

LNA forces are ready to respond to any attack and calls on the other party to put an end to its provocations alleged violations of the ceasefire, said Mismari.

The spokesman praised any possible rapprochement between all Libyans aiming to end the crisis, announcing that the army is putting the capabilities of its General Command at the disposal of the Libyan people to ensure the success of the political process.

The LNA accused pro-GNA media outlets of spreading rumors that foreign mercenaries took control of public institutions and schools in Houn city.

The 128th Brigade stationed in Houn conducts several patrols to protect the facilities and ensure the security of public and private properties and the safety of citizens, said Mismari, denying the presence of foreign mercenaries among army ranks.

The LNA sources and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Turkey is sending "mercenaries" to Libya to support GNA forces.

On Friday, GNA army spokesman Colonel Mohammad Qanunu confirmed willingness to respond to any violation that threatens the unity of the state.

Earlier this week, a field commander in GNA's Sirte and Jufra Operations Room, Akram al-Dernawi, stressed his forces were ready to confront any aggression, noting that they are in direct contact with the Operations Command to implement the orders.

The threats are the latest issued by GNA forces to LNA, and precede the UN sponsored talks, referred to as the "5 + 5" Libyan Joint Military Commission, which are set to resume.

The GNA accuses the LNA of violating the ceasefire in Sirte, despite its denial.

Military sources on both sides denied earlier reports about re-opening the closed road between the East and the West, including removing the roadblocks between Sirte and Misrata.

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Lebanon’s PM Visits Syrian President to Discuss Border Demarcation and Security

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
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Lebanon’s PM Visits Syrian President to Discuss Border Demarcation and Security

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam led a high-level ministerial delegation to Syria on Monday for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the most significant diplomatic visit between the two countries since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December.

"My visit to Damascus today aims to open a new page in the history of relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect, restoring trust, good neighborliness," Salam said in a statement on X.

At the center of discussions was implementing a March 28 agreement signed in Saudi Arabia by the Syrian and Lebanese defense ministers to demarcate land and sea borders and improve coordination on border security issues, Salam said in the statement.

The Lebanese-Syrian border witnessed deadly clashes earlier this year and years of unrest in the frontier regions, which have been plagued by weapons and illicit drug smuggling through illegal crossings.

During Monday’s meeting, Salam and Sharaa agreed to form a joint ministerial committee to oversee the implementation of the border agreement, close illegal crossings and suppress smuggling activity along the border.

The border area, especially near Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and Syria’s Qusayr region, has long been a corridor for illicit trade, arms trafficking, and the movement of fighters — including Hezbollah fighters who backed the Assad government during Syria’s 14-year civil war.

Hezbollah has been significantly weakened in its recent war with Israel and since Assad's ousting, it lost several key smuggling routes it once relied on for weapons transfers.

Lebanon also pressed Syria to provide clarity on the fate of thousands of Lebanese nationals who were forcibly disappeared or imprisoned in Syrian jails in the 1980s and 1990s, during Syria’s nearly 30-year military presence in Lebanon. Human rights groups have long documented the lack of accountability and transparency regarding these cases, with families of the missing holding regular demonstrations in Beirut demanding answers.

Syrian officials for their part raised the issue of Syrian nationals detained in Lebanese prisons, Salam said. Many of the detainees were arrested for illegal entry or alleged involvement in militant activity. Rights advocates in both countries have criticized the lack of due process in many of these cases and the poor conditions inside detention facilities.

Lebanon pledged to hand over people implicated in crimes committed by the Assad government and security forces, many of whom are believed to have fled to Lebanon after the government’s collapse, if found on Lebanese soil, a ministerial source told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly comment.

In return, Lebanese officials requested the extradition of Syrians wanted in Lebanese courts for high-profile political assassinations, "most notably those involved in the bombing of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques, those convicted of assassinating President Bashir Gemayel, and other crimes for which the Assad regime is accused," Salam said.

For decades, Lebanon witnessed a long series of politically motivated assassinations targeting journalists, politicians and security officials, particularly those opposed to Syrian influence. The 2013 twin bombings of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques in Tripoli in northern Lebanon killed more than 40 people and intensified sectarian tensions already heightened by the spillover from the Syrian war.

Syria has never officially acknowledged involvement in any of Lebanon’s political assassinations.

Salam said he also pushed for renewed cooperation on the return of Syrian refugees.

Lebanese government officials estimate the country hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, of whom about 755,000 are officially registered with the UN refugee agency, or UNHCR, making it the country with the highest number of refugees per capita in the world.

While Lebanese authorities have long urged the international community to support large-scale repatriation efforts, human rights organizations have cautioned against forced returns, citing ongoing security concerns and a lack of guarantees in Syria.

Since the fall of Assad in December, an estimated 400,000 refugees have returned to Syria from neighboring countries, according to UNHCR, with about half of them coming from Lebanon, but many are hesitant to return because of the dire economic situation and fears of continuing instability in Syria.