Libyan factions are fighting for control of Tripoli airport

An alliance of Islamist militias tried Sunday to take Tripoli airport form Zintan militia who control facilities. The attack has left groups of passengers trapped in the terminal of the airport at the Libyan capital early in the morning. After several flights suspended, the International Airport has decided to close the facility over the next three days.

Effective militias as Shield Center Libya Brigade Marsa Misratan, Hateen, 27th Infantry Cell or Living Revolutionary Operations have attacked the airport from all directions and have launched rockets against the positions of Zintan militants  around the airport, the newspaper Libya Herald quoted by Reuters.

The airport area has been controlled by Zintan militiamen in northwestern Libya since the fall of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Currently Zintan brigades have managed to repel the attack, but the fighting has spread to the outskirts of Tripoli, particularly in the southwest of the city. The residents have heard numerous explosions and saw columns of smoke.

The clashes have caused nine deaths so far and 36 wounded, according to a spokesman for the Libyan Ministry of Health. The spokesman, who requested anonymity, according to France Press, unable to say whether the victims were civilians or militants.

The attacking coalition, calling itself Operation Fajr (Dawn), has announced its intention to move from the capital all the ” illegal” brigades. Its main objective is liberal brigades as Zintan brigades of Qaqaa and Sawaiq, which control the airport and the road linking these facilities to the city.

All these brigades, both as attackers who control the airport are officially recognized as legal by the Libyan Government forces and are all formally under its control.

Just hours before the attacks, the Chinese agency Xinhua had reported that the militias were to hand over the airport on Sunday to the Libyan government. Speaking to this agency spokesman Battalion Dirh Libya, Hadia Ahmad, had indicated that it had reached an agreement with the government under which its fighters would leave the premises within 24 hours to give to the forces of the Ministry Libyan Interior.

“This hand over will be completed. Means that the airport will be given to a government security agency after nearly three years of rebel control,” Hadia had explained.

On Saturday, one local television station had reported that another airport in the capital, Mitiga, had been handed over to the Libyan military by another militant group, also from Zintan.

According to the sources consulted by Xinhua, the handing over the control of airports was a gesture of goodwill towards the next government to be formed after the election results are declared on 20 July.

The fighting around Tripoli airport has led to closure of the airport and cancellation of all flights.

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Posted by Khalil Khan on Jul 15 2014. Filed under Middle East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.