Haftar Forces Attack Mosque in Libya

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Forces under the command of renegade general Khalifa Haftar attacked a mosque near Libya’s capital of Tripoli.

News ID: 3471272

Date: 27 April 2020 - 09:28

They targeted the mosque in Ain Zara town south of Tripoli, the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Faez al-Sarraj, said Sunday, according to Al Jazeera.

The mosque was seriously damaged after being hit by mortar shells, it said in a statement.

Government forces are under attack by Haftar’s forces since last April, and international efforts to enforce a cease-fire have proven unsuccessful.

The GNA, which launched Operation Peace Storm last month to counter the attacks, claimed on April 13 that its forces removed Haftar militias from at least eight provinces, clearing a 3,000-square-kilometer (1,158-square-mile) area.

Since the ouster of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: warlord Haftar in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.

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