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Violent clashes erupted in the southern neighborhoods of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as United Nations-recognized government forces launched a counter-attack to repel allied fighters for General Khalifa Haftar.
Residents of the city said they could hear heavy rocket and artillery fire in several parts of Tripoli on Saturday after several days of stalemate on the ground.
The Libyan national army of Haftar, combined with a rival administration in the east of the country, launched an offensive to seize Tripoli more than two weeks ago. She was arrested in the southern suburbs of the city by forces allied with the Government of the National Accord. ).
The bombings were stronger and more frequent on Saturday than the previous days, residents said, and are audible in the central districts more than 10 km from the front.
Both sides said progress was being made in southern Tripoli, but no further details were immediately available.
Mustafa al-Mejii, spokesman for the military operation of the GNA, said his forces "have launched a new phase of attack".
"Orders were given early this morning to move forward and gain ground," he told the AFP news agency.
Colonel Mohamad Gnounou, another spokesman, said the Allied forces in Tripoli had carried out seven air raids against military positions held by the LNA of Haftar. They included areas south of the city of Gharyan, 100 km southwest of the capital, and an air base at Al Watiya, 50 km southwest.
Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Haftar's forces, said the Allied forces in Tripoli attacked the air base three times on Saturday.
Addressing reporters in Benghazi, Mesmari confirmed the attacks against Gharyan, claiming that civilians had been targeted.
"Our air force provides fire support to ground troops," he said, adding: "The enemy is trying to reverse our forces from behind, but they have failed in the face of the strength of our fighters and the experience of our fighters.It has become a war of 39; wear ".
"We want a civil regime"
Fighting in the suburbs of Tripoli has left at least 220 dead and more than 1,000 wounded, according to the World Health Organization, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said more than 25,000 people had been displaced.
The offensive, which according to Haftar was aimed at ridding the western region of Libya of the "terrorist groups still in place", raised fears of a major civil war in this oil-rich country, plunged into chaos since the overthrow of the long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011.
For years, Libya has been divided between the GNA west of Tripoli and a rival administration allied to Haftar.
Saturday's clashes were "the fiercest fights to date," said Mahmoud Abdelwahed of Al Jazeera, reporting in Tripoli. Allied forces of the GNA "claim to have gained more ground against Haftar's forces and are determined to regain control of the unused international airport of Tripoli," he said.
While the GNA forces claim that the Haftar fighters were retreating, the battle would not be easy, said Abdelwahed, "as his forces are backed by regional powers, such as Egypt," he said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ".
A phone call between President Donald Trump and Haftar on Monday, in which the US leader praised the "important role of the commander in the fight against terrorism" would probably have strengthened the spirit of the LNA, Abdelwahed said. .
The United States and Russia refused Thursday to support a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Libya. Moscow said that he opposed the resolution drafted by the British government, blaming Haftar for being behind the latest outbreak of violence, and that the United States was not going to Had not motivated his decision.
Meanwhile, about 2,000 residents of Tripoli on Friday staged a demonstration in the central square of Martyrs to condemn Haftar's action on the city, as well as the world powers that support it, including France and Russia, and now the United States.
"The powers that support terrorism in Libya are France, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates," said Abdelrizaq Musherib, a protester.
"We condemn the criminal acts committed against the Libyan people and the support given to the rebel Haftar, and we condemn the UN mission because of its inability to handle the situation in Libya," he added.
Nour Mohamed said the United States wanted Haftar to take over Libya. "We, the Libyan people, are against Trump and against Haftar, we want a civil regime and freedom."
The French Embbady in Libya tweeted in Arabic Friday that Paris was "opposed to the attack" of Tripoli. The French and Italian Foreign Ministers also said that they were trying to forge a common strategy with regard to Libya.
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