The Libyan army officially announced the launch of the operation to liberate Tripoli Airport, south of the country's capital, from putschist General Khalifa Haftar's forces, who recently left at least 48 corpses behind as they fled war zones in the country.
"We officially announce the start of the airport liberation battle," Libyan army spokesman Muhammad Qununu said Wednesday, according to Libyan army's official Facebook account.
On Tuesday, the Libyan army said Haftar's militias left 48 corpses behind while fleeing from war zones.
Qununu did not provide further details in his statement but said they had been ordered to take all measures to safeguard against the novel coronavirus while collecting the bodies.
On Sunday, Haftar forces said they recaptured the strategic town of al-Asabaa, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the capital, after launching airstrikes on militias in the area.
Control of the town gives Haftar's forces better access to Tarhuna, their main western stronghold and supply line southeast of the capital.
Haftar's gain more broadly reflects the seesawing nature of the war, which in recent weeks had turned dramatically in favor of rival Turkish-backed Libyan army that ousted Haftar's forces from a key western airbase and several towns.
Libya's internationally recognized government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019.
In March, the Libyan government launched Operation Peace Storm to counter attacks on the capital, and recently regained strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase, in a major blow to Haftar's forces.
Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a U.N.-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to the offensive by warlord Haftar's forces.
Haftar's militia is supported by France, Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries. The government in Tripoli is backed by Turkey, which deployed troops and mercenaries to help defend the capital in January, as well as by Italy and Qatar.
The civil war has seen a critical reversal recently as, thanks to Turkey's support, the United Nations-backed Libyan Army has been advancing – gradually making one strategic gain after another.
Libya and Turkey signed agreements in November outlining cooperation in terms of military and maritime affairs. Following the deal, the Turkish Parliament in January passed a motion allowing for the deployment of troops to Libya for one year in order to respond to threats from illegitimate armed groups and other terror groups working against both countries' national interests.
Mercenaries, mainly from the Syria battlefield, are now fighting on both sides and complicating the already complex proxy war, according to U.N. experts.
U.S. and Libyan officials have accused Russia of deploying fighters from the Wagner Group in key battleground areas in Libya, and last month, in an unusually bold statement, the U.S. military accused Russia of deploying 14 aircraft to eastern Libya to help Haftar's forces, saying the move was part of Moscow's longer-term goal to establish a foothold in the region that could threaten NATO allies. Russia dismissed those claims as "stupidity" and has repeatedly denied playing any role in Libya's fighting.
The U.N. Mission in Libya announced the agreement on a new round of cease-fire talks late Monday, expressing hope they would "mark the beginning of calm on the ground" and allow the country's war-scarred health system to cope with the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said Tuesday it expects "things to get moving in the next few days" following the agreement by Libya's warring parties to resume cease-fire negotiations following days of heavy fighting.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said acting U.N. envoy Stephanie Williams and the U.N. mission remain in direct contact with the U.N.-supported government in the capital Tripoli and warlord Haftar's east-based militias "to figure out the next steps and the logistics about the resumption of the talks."
Dujarric said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres adds his voice in welcoming the agreement to resume negotiations and calls on the parties to engage constructively and in good faith.
COVID-19 has infected at least 168 people in Libya, but testing is extremely limited. The impact of a large outbreak would likely be severe given the continued fighting and the state of the country's health system.
The U.N. Mission said delegates from the rival parties will conduct the cease-fire talks through video calls because of the pandemic.
