LNA Vows Retaliation after GNA Forces Targeted Tarhouna
Arab World
Cairo - Khalid Mahmoud
The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has threatened to retaliate to the attack on Tarhouna town, 65 km southeastern Tripoli, launched by forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA). LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said Tarhouna town was targeted by more than 20 missiles, all of which hit houses and civilian areas. In a statement on Saturday, Mismari said targeting civilians is a war crime, calling on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSML) to fulfill its duties and condemn “real terrorists.” The spokesman affirmed that the LNA response is “ready and will inevitably be implemented.” Tarhouna has been the LNA’s main strategic center in the west, providing local manpower for its military campaign. The Tarhouna Protection Force, affiliated to GNA's Volcano of Rage Operation, announced in a brief statement on Saturday that its artillery had bombed sites of “criminal militias” in the city’s outskirts. GNA military spokesman Mohammed Qanunu said his forces have launched three airstrikes targeting an LNA fuel tanker and supplies were hit in the vicinity of Bani Walid. Qanunu said GNA forces, led by Fayez al-sarraj, are moving on with their land, sea, and air operations, per the plan developed by the Operation Peace Storm and in response to the continuous shelling on Tripoli’s neighborhoods. GNA's air forces targeted a car and a military vehicle in an area between Teninay and Ashmikh towns, while heading to the LNA forces, Qanunu added in TV statements. In other news, three civilians were killed by indiscriminate shelling on Ain Zara municipality, south of the capital, according to a spokesman for the GNA Ministry of Health. Pro-Sarraj local media said three LNA rockets fell on Souk El-Jumaa, in the center of the capital. While LNA air defense platforms shot down a Turkish drone the moment it entered the no-fly zone in southern Tripoli. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Italy and the EU's top diplomat made a joint call on Saturday for a humanitarian truce in Libya, saying all sides must resume peace talks. “We want to unite our voices to those of UN Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres and his Acting Special Representative for Libya, Stephanie Turco Williams, in their call for a humanitarian truce in Libya,” the statement said. “We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire,” said the statement, signed by the EU's Josep Borrell, France's Jean-Yves Le Drian, Italy's Luigi di Maio and Heiko Maas of Germany.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2253561/lna-vows-retaliation-after-gna-forces-targeted-tarhouna
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