The Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Libya as fighting in Tripoli intensifies

The battle for control of the Libyan capital intensified on Wednesday and as a result The UN Security Council has announced the holding of an emergency meeting in New York to deal with the escalating violence.

Suffering from a bloody civil war since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been fighting since last week with the offensive launched by the forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA, in English) led by leader Khalifa Haftar, in Tripoli, where he works in the Government of National Unity (GNA), which is supported by the UN.

Since then, it has been estimated that at least 47 people died and 181 were wounded in the fighting around the capital, and in addition, the only airport operating in Tripoli was bombed by Haftar forces.

The meeting of the Security Council will take place in camera in New York, and he comes a day after the National Conference on Libya, with which it was to pave the way for new elections, it should be canceled by the fighting.

Tuesday night, heavy fire could be heard in the capital district, Ain Zara, southeast of Tripoli. "The fighting has intensified, we are afraid to leave the house," says a resident at the agency AFP. The blockade of many streets has also been reported, preventing the evacuation of civilians.

Despite this, it is thought that thousands of people have left the city since the start of the climb last week, although the UNHe warned that there were still nearly 500,000 children in Tripoli.

The LNA reported by its communication organ that occupied the barracks of Aziziya, 50 kilometers south of the capital, after "violent fighting". During the process, they captured many of the GNA soldiers and disarmed them, the statement said.

For his part, the spokesman of GNA, Mohamed Gnounou, He stated that they had launched numerous air attacks against LNA positions in the suburbs, as well as its logistical bases in the east of the country.

It seems, Haftar's troops advance on two fronts, south and south-east of Tripolisince coastal roads are strongly defended by GNA soldiers.

In 2011, Libya entered a spiral of violence after the uprising which, with the support of a US-led international coalition, overthrew longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

After the fall and death of the caudillo, a transitional government tried to rebuild the country and call elections. but in 2014, violence between two major factions led to a new civil war that still persists.

In this context, two different governments claim power. From one side The GNA, which controls the west of the country, is based in Tripoli and enjoys the support of the international community, and on the other hand the ENL, which controls the east of the country based in Tobruk, has many former Kadhafists in its ranks and is led by Haftar.