The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced on Friday that it had taken control of roads leading to the Tripoli airport and was set for major battles for main areas of the Libyan capital. The news comes a day after information surfaced that the rival Tripoli-based government has officially requested military aid from Turkey.
"The LNA is advancing after violent clashes on roads that lead to the center of the capital. The GNA retreated leaving bodies lying on the road to Tripoli airport", the LNA wrote on Facebook, as quoted by Al Arabiya.
LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari, in turn, told the TV channel said that the next few hours would surprise all those following the developments in Libya, saying that the battle for Tripoli was ongoing.
Poster Comment:
Turkey is sending troops to support the NLA Turkey speeds up Libya troop deployment deal to prevent slide into 'chaos'
The story goes on to state: "Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli has been struggling to fend off General Khalifa Haftar’s forces, which have been supported by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan.
“If today Libya becomes like Syria, then the turn will come for the other countries in the region,” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday at a meeting of the governing AK Party."
And yes, you read that correctly; Russia is supporting Khalifa Haftar and his forces, along with the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan.
So what we could potentially be seeing here, is another proxy war between the US (the Government of National Accord, established by the UN) and Russia, which is supporting Haftar in Libya.
This could, potentially, get a lot more bloody than it already has been, and very quickly.