Libya has erupted into civil war as the rebel army commander Khalifa Hafter launched airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Tripoli in defiance of a UN truce.

It is the latest stage of a four-day offensive by Haftar's force, which backs a rival administration in the east, against the home of the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). It has so far claimed 21 lives.

The airstrikes have prompted a 'Volcano Of Rage' counter-offensive by the GNA, with a spokesman claiming advancing government forces had already captured several of Hafter's armoured vehicles.

The offensive intensifies a power struggle that has fractured the oil and gas producer since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

Hafter's troops, which called themselves the Libyan National Army, claim to have reached the southern outskirts and taken its former international airport, though the Tripoli military officials deny this.

A war plane carried out an air strike in the same area, a resident and eastern military source said. No more details were immediately available.

The UN Mission to Libya today for a truce for two hours in southern Tripoli to evacuate civilians and wounded, it said in a statement without giving details.

In another sign of the situation worsening on the ground, a contingent of US forces evacuated the country for security reasons.

The offensive has taken the UN by surprise, undermining plan to find agreement on a path to elections to resolve the protracted instability in Libya.

The country is a transit point for refugees and migrants trekking across the Sahara with the objective of reaching Europe across the Mediterranean Sea to the north.

Haftar, 75, who casts himself as a foe of Islamist extremism but is viewed by opponents as a new dictator in the mould of Gaddafi, enjoys the backing of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which see him as a bulwark against Islamists and have supported him militarily.

The UAE, however, has joined Western countries in expressing its deep concern about the fighting.

In the past, Haftar has struck deals with armed factions outside Tripoli to advance his forces. But gaining control of Tripoli - the ultimate prize for Haftar's eastern parallel government - would be far more complicated.

Armed groups allied to the Tripoli government have moved more machinegun-mounted pickup trucks from Misrata to Tripoli to defend it against Haftar's forces.

The city is known for a spirit of resisting 'old regime' figures, developed during 2011 when pro-Gaddafi forces besieged it for three months.

In a press briefing on Sunday from Tripoli, Libyan Army spokesman Mohammed Gununu said his forces have firm and accurate tactics that will foil all attacks by Haftar's forces on Tripoli.

'The Libyan Army rejects coups and militarization of the state. Libya will always be a civilian state and the army will protect it and secure the people.' he said.

'This attack is a surprising one that destroyed the Libyans' hopes for democracy as all of them were preparing for the upcoming national conference in Ghadames.'

It was also claimed by the GNA that it had 'taken dozens of captives from Haftar's troops, confiscated many vehicles and repelled rival troops' from the boundaries of the city of Gharyan.</s>Khalifa Haftar’s self-declared Libyan National Army in training. They have come under aerial attack after launching an assault on the western-backed government in Tripoli ABDULLAH DOMA

Nato’s southern flank on the Mediterranean coast of Africa was on the brink of violent upheaval last night as a powerful warlord in Libya laid siege to the capital — and neighbouring Algeria’s old guard struggled to keep power after the forced retirement of its figurehead president.

Clashes were reported near Tripoli, the Libyan capital, after Khalifa Haftar, a renegade general who controls the east of the country and its southern oilfields, launched an offensive against the internationally recognised government.

“This could get bloody,” a western diplomat warned. “We’re urging all sides to show restraint — the last thing Libya needs is more conflict.”

The assault coincided with a visit by Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, leaving in no doubt Haftar’s disdain…</s>MOSCOW – Russia calls on warring parties in Libya to return to the negotiating table and resolve disputes peacefully. Lev Dengov, head of the contact group on intra-Libyan settlement at the Foreign Ministry and the State Duma, explained to Russian media.

The diplomat also said that the aggravation of the situation occurred two weeks before the planned conference. Representatives of Tripoli, headed by the leader of the Government of National Accord Faiz Sarraj, and delegates from the Parliament in Tobruk under the leadership of the Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar were invited. The special representative noted that Libyans are seriously afraid of foreign intervention and the repetition of the 2011 scenario.

The escalation of the situation in Libya began on April 4 – General Khalifa Haftar, who heads the country’s eastern provinces controlled by the national government in Tobruk, announced the start of a military “operation to liberate Tripoli” and called on residents of the city to voluntarily surrender and go to his side.

After the video message, in which Khalifa Haftar called upon the people of Tripoli to “lay down their arms and raise the white flag,” Prime Minister Faiz Sarraj ordered the troops to be fully operational in order to protect civilians. Military aircraft were scrambled.

As Russian contact-group representative Lev Dengov explains, Moscow is concerned about the aggravation of the situation and calls on both sides to resolve the disputes that have arisen by peaceful means.

“We urge Tobruk and Tripoli to avoid bloodshed.”Throughout this time, our country has maintained contacts with all parties to the conflict – with representatives of Tobruk, Tripoli, and Misurata. Therefore, to say that we support any one side is unfair. We urge the parties to return to a productive peaceful dialogue, to the positions stated during the Palermo conference,” the special representative said.

“The most important thing is to prevent foreign intervention so that the conflict can be resolved without the involvement of third actors,” he added.

“There is a growing concern among the residents of Tripoli that the events of eight years ago may repeat,” the politician said.

FRN assesses that these comments come as a form of diplomatic cover. While it is certainly logical that Russia does not want foreign intervention outside of their own efforts, it is also clear that Russia has overall be en favoring Haftar’s forces from Tobruk. He has already united the vast majority of Libya, and Sirte, Misurata, and Tripoli remain the only areas in control of Sarraj. Sarraj is favored by the west, and is recognized by the UN. However, he is backed by Al Qaeda-type formations, and has been unable to bring stability, let alone economic growth to the war-torn country. This creates a delicate scenario for Russia.

Prior to this, on April 4, speaking at the Libyan Youth Forum, General Haftar said that the political crisis in the country would be resolved already this month by creating a single government. At the time however, experts did not accept the words of Haftar as a possible threat to the authorities in Tripoli – in mid-April it was planned to hold a national conference at which talks were expected between representatives of the East, the West, as well as southern provinces and Misurata, the third largest force in the country, not controlled by Sarraj, nor Haftar. However, it is understood that Misurata sees their fate tied to Sarraj and Tripoli. Should Tripoli be unified with the rest of Libya under Haftar, then Misurata would have no options.

In February, Haftar’s forces seized the largest oil field in Libya, al-Sharara, without encountering much resistance from Tripoli or Misurata. Then there were reports in the press that the army was moving to the south-west of the country, subordinating more and more new areas. Given that the LNA already controls most of the coast, where large export terminals are located, it is safe to say that deliveries of Libyan oil abroad are now almost completely in the hands of Haftar.

The intervention never stopped. “American aviation still strikes at terrorist formations,” the political scientist noted. – This situation is unstable, since there are two centers of power and many different groups that have their own armed structures. And it can not last forever. Will Haftar have enough strength to extend control to the whole country? Before that, nobody could do it.

According to Senator Alexei Pushkov, due to the multiplicity of centers of power in Libya, virtually no Western state has enough authority in Libyan affairs in order to get some kind of compromise from them.

The last round of peace talks between the two opposing camps was held in late February. Then, in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, Faiz Saraj and Khalifa Haftar held talks, at which the parties addressed the most important issues of intra-Libyan settlement. In particular, they reaffirmed their commitment to hold national parliamentary elections in the spring. This idea was expressed during last year’s Palermo Conference by the UN Special Representative for Libya Gassan Salame. It was supposed that the elections would put an end to the existing dual power in the country – according to their results a single parliament was to be formed.

The protracted crisis in Libya is a consequence of the direct and illegal intervention of NATO in the affairs of the country, which led to chaos, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“As a result, this country was plunged into chaos, became a source of regional instability, a hotbed of terrorism,” said Lavrov in an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram before going to Cairo.

The situation in Libya again escalated in early April. The commander of the Libyan National Army, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced the launch of an offensive on Tripoli to dismiss the government of national consensus led by Fayez Sarraj, which he considers terrorist.

In turn, in the Libyan capital declared full combat readiness.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a press conference in Tripoli called on the parties to avoid military clashes.

The UN Security Council supported the Secretary General and announced his intention to bring to justice those responsible for the escalation of the conflict.

In 2011, the United States and the European Union supported the Libyan rebels and promoted the coup d’etat “the Arab spring”, in which the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed, and in terms of the number of victims this conflict became the largest in the Middle East, not counting the war in Syria.

So far, clashes continue in the country, besides, dual power has reigned there – a parliament elected by the people sits in the eastern city of Tobruk, and the government of Sarraj, formed with the support of the United Nations and Europe, sits in Tripoli.</s>MOSCOW, April 6 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a phone call on Friday with eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar and reiterated Moscow’s position that it supports a political solution to the crisis in the country.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Haftar told Bogdanov about what he described as efforts to fight terrorists in Libya, including near its capital Tripoli in the west of the country. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin Editing by Peter Graff)</s>Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar said Saturday they had been targeted by an air strike, as fresh fighting flared south of Tripoli.

"We strongly condemn the air raid... in the Al-Aziziya region" by a plane, which had taken off from western Misrata, said the media office of Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA).

Forces in Misrata are mostly loyal to Libya's internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been battling Haftar for control of the war-torn north African country.

Pro-government forces in the capital Tripoli confirmed they had targeted Haftar's men with "intensive strikes".

The air strikes came as fresh fighting flared Saturday south of Tripoli between the pro-government forces and Haftar's troops despite calls from the international community to halt the military offensive.

Haftar's forces are battling for control of an area some 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of the capital near Tripoli's international airport, which was destroyed in 2014.

On Friday they were pushed back from a key checkpoint west of the capital, less than 24 hours after seizing it during a lightning offensive towards Tripoli.

Late Friday Haftar's men also briefly seized the airport, before being ousted.

Haftar on Thursday ordered his troops to advance on the capital.

"The time has come" to take Tripoli, he said in an audio message, pledging to spare civilians and "state institutions".

Dozens of militia have proliferated in Libya since the NATO-backed 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi and are variously aligned with either the unity government or the rival administration in the east backed by Haftar.

Tripoli residents have expressed concern that large-scale fighting could break out and began stocking up on food and petrol.

On Saturday large queues formed at petrol stations and supermarkets, an AFP journalist said.

"We must store everything we need for the family, just in case, especially those with young children," said Farida, a mother pushing a full shopping cart.

"You never know how long it will last," she added.

Despite the flare-up, UN envoy Ghassan Salame insisted Saturday that talks planned to be held next week in Libya would go ahead.

"We are determined" to hold the talks "as scheduled" unless prevented by serious obstacles, Salame told a press conference.

"We want to reassure Libyans that we will stay alongside the Libyan people to make the political process a success without resorting to escalation."

Since the toppling of dictator Kadhafi, Libya has been divided between an array of armed groups.

And the internationally-recognised unity government, born out of UN-backed talks, has struggled to assert its control.</s>TRIPOLI, April 5 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is flying on Friday to eastern Libya to meet commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces a day earlier began an offensive to take control of the capital currently held by an internationally recognised government.

Guterres will be also flying to Tobruk, another city in the east and home to Libya's parliament - also internationally recognised - which backs Haftar, he said on Twitter.

"My aim remains the same: avoid a military confrontation. I reiterate that there is no military solution for the Libyan crisis, only a political one," Guterres wrote on Twitter. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Hugh Lawson)</s>Pro-government forces in Tripoli confirm they had targeted Khalifa Haftar's men with 'intensive strikes'

BENGHAZI, Libya – Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar said on Saturday, April 6, they had been targeted by an air strike, as fresh fighting flared south of Tripoli.

"We strongly condemn the air raid... in the Al-Aziziya region" by a plane, which had taken off from western Misrata, said the media office of Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA).

Forces in Misrata are mostly loyal to Libya's internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been battling Haftar for control of the war-torn north African country.

Pro-government forces in the capital Tripoli confirmed they had targeted Haftar's men with "intensive strikes."

The air strikes came as fresh fighting flared Saturday south of Tripoli between the pro-government forces and Haftar's troops despite calls from the international community to halt the military offensive.

Haftar's forces are battling for control of an area some 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the capital near Tripoli's international airport, which was destroyed in 2014.

On Friday they were pushed back from a key checkpoint west of the capital, less than 24 hours after seizing it during a lightning offensive towards Tripoli.

Late Friday, Haftar's men also briefly seized the airport, before being ousted.

Haftar on Thursday ordered his troops to advance on the capital.

"The time has come" to take Tripoli, he said in an audio message, pledging to spare civilians and "state institutions."

Dozens of militia have proliferated in Libya since the NATO-backed 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi and are variously aligned with either the unity government or the rival administration in the east backed by Haftar.

Tripoli residents have expressed concern that large-scale fighting could break out and began stocking up on food and petrol.

On Saturday large queues formed at petrol stations and supermarkets, an Agence France-Presse journalist said.

"We must store everything we need for the family, just in case, especially those with young children," said Farida, a mother pushing a full shopping cart.

"You never know how long it will last," she added.

Despite the flare-up, UN envoy Ghassan Salame insisted Saturday that talks planned to be held next week in Libya would go ahead.

"We are determined" to hold the talks "as scheduled" unless prevented by serious obstacles, Salame told a press conference.

"We want to reassure Libyans that we will stay alongside the Libyan people to make the political process a success without resorting to escalation."

Since the toppling of dictator Kadhafi, Libya has been divided between an array of armed groups.

And the internationally-recognized unity government, born out of UN-backed talks, has struggled to assert its control. – Rappler.com</s>Fighting erupted Friday around the Libyan capital, Tripoli, shortly after the departure of the U.N. secretary-general, who had been in the country for nearly three days and called for a de-escalation.

“I leave Libya with a deep concern and a heavy heart,” Antonio Guterres said as he left Benghazi. “I still hope it will be possible to avoid a bloody confrontation in and around Tripoli.”

Forces under the command of Gen. Khalifa Haftar, who holds sway in the country’s east, have moved toward the capital, which is controlled by the U.N.-backed Presidential Council and Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. If they enter Tripoli, they could be confronted by militias protecting the city.

The U.N. chief said the organization is committed to finding a political solution for the country. “Libyans deserve peace, security, prosperity and the respect of their human rights,” Guterres said.

In New York, the U.N. Security Council met late Friday afternoon at Britain’s request, for a private briefing from Guterres’ top man in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, who accompanied Guterres to his meetings in Tripoli, Tobruk and Benghazi.

After listening to Salamé via a videoconference from Libya, the often-divided Security Council issued a united appeal to Haftar’s forces to halt their advance.

“The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern at the military activity near Tripoli which risks Libyan stability and prospects for U.N. mediation and a comprehensive political solution to the crisis,” said the council president for April, German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen. “They called on LNA forces [Haftar’s Libyan National Army] to halt all military movements. They also called on all forces to de-escalate and halt military activity.”

Heusgen reiterated that there can be no military solution to the conflict, and that the council intends to “hold those responsible for further conflict accountable.”

Council diplomats said Haftar did not appear to be backing down, despite having met under U.N. auspices at the end of February with Sarraj in Abu Dhabi and agreeing to hold general elections.

Haftar has received support from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia in the past, but Moscow joined the call for restraint on Friday.

The United States joined France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Britain on Thursday to strongly oppose any military action and to call on all parties “to immediately de-escalate tensions, which are hindering prospects for U.N. political mediation.” In a joint statement, the five countries warned, “At this sensitive moment in Libya’s transition, military posturing and threats of unilateral action only risk propelling Libya back toward chaos.”

The potential for a battle over control of the capital could spark another cycle of violence in the country, which has been mired in civil war since the violent ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

It could also scuttle plans for a U.N.-facilitated national conference due to start on April 14 that aims to lay out the path to new elections.</s>DINARD, France, April 6 (Reuters) - Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven nations agreed on Saturday to put pressure on those responsible for a violent power struggle in Libya, especially commander Khalifa Haftar, to avoid a military escalation, Germany’s Heiko Maas said.

“We are agreed that we must use all the possibilities at our disposal to exert pressure on those responsible in Libya especially General Haftar, so that we avoid any further military escalation. We all agreed,” he told reporters.

Each country would use its own channels, said Maas, adding that Italy and France had direct contacts with Libya. “The situation is very worrying and we cannot accept a further military escalation,” Maas said after a ministerial meeting. (Reporting by Richard Lough; editing by John Irish Via Berlin Newsroom)</s>TRIPOLI (AFP) - The sudden offensive against Tripoli by Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar has taken pro-government forces and the international community by surprise. But is he really capable of seizing the Libyan capital?

Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army launched the assault on Thursday as UN chief Antonio Guterres visited Tripoli ahead of a planned conference later this month to hammer out a roadmap for delayed parliamentary and presidential elections.

Haftar believes that "a national conference is a forum in which all the actors must... show they are willing to accept his absolute supremacy," said Jalel Harchaoui, research fellow at The Hague-based Clingendael Institute.

The offensive came weeks after Haftar and key rival Fayez al-Sarraj, who heads the Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord, met in Abu Dhabi in February to discuss the creation of a new government in which he would be represented.

"Because the new government negotiated at Abu Dhabi was not revealed, Haftar felt that Tripoli players had not submitted enough to him ahead of the national conference," added Harchaoui.

"So he chose military force to change the facts on the ground."

Analysts also believe Haftar wants to affirm his military clout after launching successful operations in the east and the south of the country - spurred by the fact that the international community failed to react to those past offensives.

He has been encouraged by "the silence of the international community during the previous operations, especially in the south" where he struck tribal alliances, said Tarek Megerisi, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Timing the assault to coincide with Guterres's visit was an act of defiance.

"Haftar made major mistakes. He underestimated the reaction of the foreign powers, being even so daring as to choose the day (Guterres) arrived in Tripoli to order the invasion," said Libyan analyst Kaouthar Hassan.

IS HE CAPABLE OF SEIZING TRIPOLI?

Analysts believe that Haftar over-estimates the strength of his LNA.

They say the controversial field marshal, who backs an administration rival to the GNA based in eastern Libya, was counting on a quick collapse of Tripoli militias.

But pro-GNA reinforcements from around Tripoli rushed to assist in driving back his forces.

Haftar's first setback took place when he seized control of a key checkpoint known as "Bridge 27" less than 30km west of Tripoli.

Pro-government forces from the coastal town of Zawiya battled them, retook the base and captured more than 100 of Haftar's men.

"Haftar is not capable of waging the battle for Tripoli," said Libyan analyst Farhat Asseid.

"He has already faced a moral setback when he hastily decided to attack the checkpoint near Tripoli," he said.

"Haftar is not as strong as he appears and cannot in the end deliver stability to Libya," he said.

Powerful armed groups from Libya's western city of Misrata have also said they were ready to halt Haftar's "cursed advance".

"The Misrata militias are more important (in numbers) than Haftar's forces," said Ali Bensaad, an expert on Libya and professor at the French Institute of Geopolitics.

The self-styled LNA is Soviet-trained and made up of former officers from the Libyan army, militiamen, fighters from allied tribes and Salafists.

"Despite the effective branding, Haftar is not actually in control of an army in the traditional sense of the term," said Megerisi.

"The LNA is a shaky alliance between various militias of tribal, religious and local interests around a core of more traditional forces who themselves are highly compromised by Salafist components."

"From an institutional and historical point of view... it is impossible for now to affirm that Haftar was right to present his coalition as a real army with a relatively clear discipline and a clear chain of command," said Harchaoui.

For Libyan university professor Ahmad al-Messalati, Haftar "is capable of taking Tripoli but only on one condition", if he manages to form "strong and efficient alliances with certain armed groups" in Tripoli to ensure his forces can enter the capital without bloodshed.
Libyan National Army Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar declares a no-fly zone for military aircraft over western Libya, after LNA forces were targeted by airstrikes from GNA warplanes that took off from Misrata Airport.