Haftar’s forces deploy military vehicles near Sirte

Militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar have deployed 80 military vehicles near Sirte, a spokesman for the Libyan government's armed forces said Wednesday.

Muhammad Kununu said the military convoy is heading to Wadi Al-Lud, noting the move comes after Haftar's forces violated a ceasefire five times.

On Aug. 21, the Libyan government announced a ceasefire and ordered the military to stop operations against Haftar's militias.

However, on Aug. 27, the Libyan army announced the first breach of the ceasefire by the militias, which fired more than a dozen Grad rockets at army positions west of Sirte.

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Government of National Accord was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by forces loyal to Haftar.

The UN recognizes Fayez al-Sarraj's government as the country's legitimate authority as Tripoli has battled Haftar's militias since April 2019 in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.