4 March – 10 March: Egypt is training LNA naval troops

Mar 11, 2020 | Libyan actors

On 9 March, the Egyptian Military reportedly completed training a special navy commando unit to assist Libyan National Army (LNA) forces in preventing Turkish vessel from delivering military capabilities and other goods to the Government of National Accord (GNA) -aligned forces in Tripoli. It is claimed that last week 50 LNA fighters completed their initial training with the Egyptian military, undertaken at an Egyptian naval base, and returned to Libya. Furthermore, the UAE seems to supply the navy vessels for the operations.

On 3 March, the eastern-based parallel government claimed to have officially re-opened the Libyan Embassy to Syria in Damascus. A ceremony was held to celebrate the event and was attended by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal al-Mekdad, and the eastern government’s Foreign Minister, Abdul Hadi al-Hweij. At the event, the officials called for both of the countries to combine their efforts to combat ‘militant groups’ supported by Turkey.

On 3 March, LNA-aligned forces launched several rockets on Mitiga International Airport, causing the evacuation of travelers and employees from the airport’s terminals. Throughout the week, LNA forces shelled Mitiga airport and the neighbouring areas, leading to the destruction of several civilian residential areas. On 7 March, the LNA Air Force claimed it had shot down a Turkish drone in southern Tripoli.