Libya’s UN-backed government announces taking over Tripoli

The spokesman of the UN-backed Libyan government’s forces, Mohamed Gonono, on Thursday announced taking over the entire capital Tripoli and expelling the rival eastern-based army.

“Our brave forces have taken control of all of Tripoli, after regaining control of southern Tripoli from the militias of Haftar (eastern-based army commander),” Gonono said in a statement.

Also, Salah Namroush, undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense for the UN-backed government, said in a statement that the UN-backed government’s forces are “pursuing the militias of Haftar outside borders of Greater Tripoli.”

Namroush added that many senior officers of the eastern-based army have fled to the city of Bani Walid, some 180 km southeast of Tripoli.

The eastern-based army has not made any comments regarding the UN-backed government’s “victory.”

Local media published footage showing heavy deployment of the UN-backed government’s forces in all the locations that were controlled by the eastern-based army in southern Tripoli.

The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign since April 2019, in an attempt to take over Tripoli and topple the UN-backed government.

The violence killed and injured hundreds of civilians and displaced more than 150,000 others.