Increasing tension in the civil war in Libya
- Turkey and Europe have been involved in a number of clashes in the centre of the Mediterranean, related to the Libyan conflict. Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar has suffered a defeat in the Tripoli war and the front has moved to the centre of the country.
According to the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, on Wednesday morning the Greek frigate Spetsai tried to intercept the Turkish CIRKIN freighter after suspecting he was transporting weapons to Libya. Operation Commander IRINI, Italian Fabio Agostini, ordered the Greek ship to send a helicopter in order to intercept the cargo. The freighter, on the other hand, was escorted by a Turkish frigate.
The intervention is part of the European Union’s IRINI operation, which seeks to revive the economy. The operation, commanded by the powers of the European Union, has been carried out since April and aims to guarantee the arms embargo against Libya. Recently, however, attempts to export oil have also been blocked.
Changes on the front
The most intense clashes are currently taking place in the city of Sirte, especially artillery shots and aerial bombardments. According to The Drive, Russian hunting bombers have been seen onsite and attacked by armed militiamen. The French portal ItaMilRadar, for its part, has reported that the French have also approached their respective Boeing C-135FRs.
Origin of the conflict
The Second Libyan Civil War began in May 2014, when Commander Khalifa Haftar launched an uprising against the National General Congress (CNN). Haftar set the goal of “restoring order” in the country, as most of the territory was in the hands of Islamists and mercenaries. When the first clashes erupted, despite the fact that these were two special sides, Tripoli and Tobruk initially focused on the conflict between city administrations. On the one hand, there were the Haftarists of the House of Representatives, who won the 2015 elections. On the other hand, Islamist militias and mercenaries. Therefore, the competition for control of the country was not the armed conflict, until 2019. The government was then established for the Tripoli National Agreement, which is now in the clash, and the Libyan National Navy, led by Haftar. As if that were not enough, the conflict has already taken on an international dimension. A number of States have begun to intervene in a cross-cutting manner in favour of both sides. Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, France and Russia, among others.
