This week on the political front has seen United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) head, Martin Kobler, state that ‘’Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar must have a key role in the up and coming Libyan Army’’. The head of UNSMIL also went on to say that the most important issue in Libya now is to solve the current crisis by forming a strong unity Army with Khalifa Haftar having a very essential role.
The European Union (EU) has prolonged the sanctions for a further six months on Aqilah Saleh, the speaker for the House of Representatives (HoR), Khalifa Ghwell, the Prime Minister of the General National Congress, and Nuri Abu Sahmain the President of the Internationally Unrecognised Government. The EU stated that ‘’the three sanctioned are viewed as an obstruction to the implementation of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya’’.
The head of the GNA Fayez Sarraj has condemned the eastern suppression of the elected mayors, ‘’security considerations are not an acceptable reason for replacing democratically elected mayors with military appointments’’ he said in a forum in the capital.
The east in recent weeks has seen a distinct lull in ground offensive operations being carried out by Al Bunyan Al Marsous forces (BAM) on the final Daesh militant strongholds in district three area of Sirte. This has been predominantly due to BAM forces sustaining casualties in the form of Daesh snipers, Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED), suicide bombers and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in the form of booby traps. However, Sunday saw concerted offensive operations taking place in the form of GNA jets carrying out sorties and artillery bombardments on Daesh positions in preparation for ground attacks.
Later reports on Sunday revealed that after a considerable amount of GNA jet sorties, BAM forces pushed forward into the shrinking enclave of Sirte’s district three. It appears that as many as ten Daesh militants died as they tried to flee their besieged stronghold. BAM forces later captured a Daesh fighter who eluded that there was only one hundred and eighty Daesh fighters remaining inside Sirte including twenty-two amputated fighters who were tasked to carry out suicide VBIED attacks. Further unconfirmed information from the Daesh fighter, that four Indian, two Spanish, two Egyptian and one Libyan Doctor along with a Tunisian national are being held hostage.
This week in the capital Tripoli, unidentified gunmen kidnapped a 136 Battalion salary officer along the western coastal road. Later it was reported that his family had received a ransom demand of LYD 500,000. Masked men also carried out a separate kidnapping of a Libyan artist close to the airport. Whilst in the Janzour area of Sidi Dawadi, clashes broke out between Warshefana and the Janzour nights militias. It is believed that the clashes broke out due to Warshefana militias trying to open an area which previously the Janzour nights had closed down.
Field Marshal Haftar, Libyan National Army (LNA) have continued to carry out offensive operations by means of airstrikes, artillery sorties and small arms fire as they continue to clear out the final pockets of Ansar Al sharia and Daesh militant positons within Benghazi.
Amnesty International, this week have warned, that the lives of hundreds of local and foreign civilians in Benghazi’s Ganfouda neighbourhood is in danger following months of blockade and air bombing by Dignity Operation militia groups. Many international organizations including the UN Mission in Libya have appealed for the creation of safe corridors to evacuate civilians, but Dignity Operation have refused. Dignity Operation supporters in Benghazi have called for killing of all besieged families in Ganfouda, claiming they are all terrorists.
Janus Global Operations continues to keep our permanent expat country management team on the ground in Tripoli supporting our client’s international and local personnel as well as critical infrastructure. We are also currently involved in working with many of our clients on their re-entry planning, security risk management surveys and political sector analysis. To discuss these services further please contact us on the details below.
Libya Security Report Subscription Service
Janus Global Operations Libya Security Summaries are only supplied to existing Libya clients and those who subscribe to our weekly reporting service. For further information on how to subscribe and our monthly costs, please contact our Dubai management team at jason.woods@janusgo.com. The attached Libya security update has been produced by our Tripoli based in-country management team and covers the various security risks, recent incidents, political landscape and geography in both the west and east of Libya.
HEAT & Basic Life Support Two Day Training Courses
Janus Global Operations are now offering bespoke Libya oriented or generic MENA Hostile Environment Awareness & Basic Life Support Medical Training Courses in Dubai or your home country prior to deploying back into Libya, or in country training for those who require this service in Tripoli. Please contact our Dubai Head Office for more information on these courses at jason.woods@janusgo.com
For further information on all our services and for actual support on the ground in Libya please feel free to contact us 24/7 on +218 911713972 or +971 508764175 or visit our website www.janusgo.com
