Forces seize town south of Tripoli

EASTERN Libyan forces yesterday took full control of Gharyan, a town about 100km south of the capital Tripoli, the force commander and residents said.

The taking of Gharyan after skirmishes on Wednesday with forces allied to Tripoli Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj ended in a rapid thrust westwards by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army from his eastern stronghold of Benghazi.

The developments signified a serious escalation of the conflict in Libya that has dragged on since the overthrow of Muammar Al Gaddafi in 2011.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed for restraint by the rival factions. Libya has been divided between the internationally recognised government in Tripoli and a parallel administration allied to Haftar since Gaddafi’s downfall.

Gharyan had been allied to the Tripoli government. The two sides fought skirmishes on Wednesday but these had ceased, town mayor Yousef al-Bdairi said.

A resident said: “The town now is under control of the army who came from the east and I can see their vehicles with their Libyan National Army logo.”

Guterres, who arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday to promote peace talks, said in a tweet before Gharyan’s capture that he was deeply concerned by the military movements and the risk of confrontation.

“There is no military solution. Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems. I call for calm and restraint as I prepare to meet the Libyan leaders in the country,” he said.

The developments are a setback for the UN and Western countries which have been trying to mediate between Serraj and Haftar, who met in Abu Dhabi last month to discuss a power-sharing deal.

A national conference is set to follow this month to agree on a road map for elections to resolve the prolonged instability in Libya.

Haftar enjoys the backing of Egypt and the UAE, which see him as a bulwark against Islamists. His opponents see him as a new Gaddafi. His forces control the east and recently expanded to southern Libya. | Reuters