Libyan Army Destroys Armored Vehicles Of Haftar Militia

UPDATES WITH MORE VEHICLES DESTROYED, REVISES LEDE

By Enes Canli and Aydogan Kalabalik



The Libyan army announced Thursday that it had destroyed 13 armored vehicles belonging to militias of warlord Khalifa Haftar in southern Tripoli, the capital of Libya.

A statement issued via the official Facebook account of the Libyan army-led Operation Volcano of Rage said that three armored vehicles provided to Haftar's militias by United Arab Emirates were rendered inoperable by the Libyan forces.

The army has gained ground in Ain Zara and Wadi Al-Rabie regions, the statement added.



Earlier on Thursday, Libyan army announced that it had destroyed 10 other military vehicles of Haftar's militias.

Army units have also cleared the Qarizma and Ahya al-Barriya regions in southern Tripoli from militias to "a significant extent," army spokesman Col. Mohammed Gununu said in a written statement.



Having recaptured the strategic Al-Watiya airbase in western Libya from Haftar's militias on May 18, the army continues to clear the country of the militias.

Army units surrounded the town of Tarhuna, which is being used as a military and supply base by Haftar's militias. Some militia groups were forced to retreat from fronts in southern Tripoli to defend the town.

Army units have cleared a wide region from Haftar's militias, including Hamzah, Yarmuk and as-Sawarih. They also reclaimed some critical points from the militias and took control of the Al-Tekbali military camp.

After the Libyan army cleared southern Tripoli of Haftar's militias, mercenaries reportedly retreated from fronts in Tripoli and were dispatched to an unknown point from Bani Walid Airport.



The media recently reported that many vehicles carrying mercenaries had retreated from fronts in Tripoli.



*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz and Firdevs Bulut -