US on arms trafficking charges.

The first two foreign mercenaries appeared in Misrata in June 2015. One of them refused to bomb LNA troops and left. The other – an Ecuadorian, reinforced by technicians of the same country - carried out several air strikes against LNA forces, then Islamic State militants in the Sirte region.

Since 2016, the LDAF sided with the new, internationally recognised government in Tripoli, established in December 2015 and unanimously approved by the UN Security Council.

A lack of spares, maintenance personnel and pilots resulted in the LDAF being reduced to one operational Mirage F1, and about 10 other fighter jets by April 2016.

Mirage maintenance is complicated, as many spares were captured by the LNA when it took control of al-Watiya airbase in northwest Libya in 2014.

On3 June 2016, the sole operational Mirage crashed west of the city of Sirte due to a technical problem. The pilot, a Portuguese mercenary, ejected, but died of his injures.

By the end of July, a lack of money meant that all foreign mercenary pilots and engineers had left Libya, leaving the LDAF with only a few operational pilots and aircraft.

Since the beginning of April, Misrata has been engaged in a trial of strength with the LNA in the Fezzan region.

The LNA air force launched multiple air strikes on Tamanhint air base, 30km northeast of al-Sebha, where fighting was taking place between the Misrata Third Force militia and the LNA 12th Brigade.

The Misrata air force retaliated by bombing the Brak al-Shati airbase, 80km north of al-Sebha, where LNA aircraft