On 12 April, Libyan National Army (LNA) forces arrested an Ansar al-Sharia (AS) figure from Sirte named Salem Abdul Qaway al-Gaddafi while hiding in the Jufra area. On 14 April, the LNA Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdurrazaq al-Nadhouri, issued “final readiness” orders to LNA troops station near Derna heralding an impending assault on the city controlled by the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council.
Read Full PostOn 3 April, the UK government stated that it was “likely” that it had been in communication with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and the 17 February Martys Brigade during the war in Libya in 2011. On 5 April, the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) claimed to have undertaken a surprise attack on Libyan National Army (LNA) forces in southern Derna, allegedly killing two LNA fighters.
Read Full PostOn 1 April, in a media statement, Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar warned that the time given to the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) – who occupies and controls the city of Derna – to disarm and lay down their weapons has expired and suggests that major clashes in Derna could start at any time.
Read Full PostOn 24 March, the LNA aligned Salafist ‘Arrest and Investigation Units’ of Benghazi and Ajdabiya were disbanded with their respective members re-integrated into the Internal Security Organisations in their respective cities. On 23 March, the Tarik Ben Zeyad brigade, who are one of the two most powerful Salafist brigades aligned to the LNA, deployed to southern Libya.
Read Full PostOn 18 March, the Libyan National Army (LNA) released details of the arrest of 16 alleged “terrorists” in the Kufra region of southern Libya carrying Syrian and Sudanese passports.
Read Full PostOn 11 March, it was reported that Saudi Arabia had extradited to the LNA two alleged al-Qaeda members accused of abducting five Egyptian diplomats in Tripoli in 2014. The two suspects were arrested in June 2017 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and are said to be members of the al-Qaeda aligned Libyan militant groups.
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