Tensions dominate Tripoli after killing three citizens

Three Libyans have been killed in Tripoli’s districts of Qaraqash and Islamic neighborhood by militias, leading to increasing protests from the residents of the western side of the city expressing their refusal to the presence of these militias in the city.

The Libyan militias existed in the capital worked during the recent weeks to kidnap the citizens to gain ransoms, pushing the residents to express their protests against their existence in the city and close the major roads with earth mounds, as they also set the fire on tires.

In the same context, there are reports of heavy airstrikes tonight on a range of Benghazi Defence Brigades’ positions from the front line at Al Uqaylah to Ben Jawad in the west.  An LNA source claimed that they were the largest raids yet mounted by the air force. He declined to comment on reports that the airstrikes are being followed up by an assault by ground forces.

Meanwhile Petroleum Facilities Guard commander Idris Bukhamada has said that the LNA is deliberately targeting oil infrastructure at the export terminals. Senior LNA commanders have denied this is happening.

Bukhamada’s men reportedly took over the Ras Lanuf and Sidra oil terminals five days ago from the victorious BDB. The operation was designed to free the BDB and their commander Mustafa Sharksi to continue with their promised push to Benghazi.

On social media the BDB has noted the increased intensity of the air strikes and claimed that they are being delivered by the Egyptian air force. The BDB has also produced its Statement Number 19 which it said is to clarifiy its goals.

It said all BDB members were from Benghazi and had led the 17 February Revolution in the city. “We have no party, political or ideological affiliations. Our goal is the return of our people to their homes from which they were expelled unjustly.”

The BDB said that its goal was primarily humanitarian, to stop the suffering of tens of thousands of displaced families and to end what it described as the terrorism against civilians in Benghazi.

It pledged that it would not ignite a civil war and insisted that it supported “social and political” solutions to win justice and security “and stop crime in our city Benghazi.” It would fight terrorism in all its forms and not allow Benghazi to become a terrorist haven. It said it would also not allow any acts of revenge but advocated peace and security.

On his hand, Spokesperson of Libyan Army Ahmed Al Mesmari said that a number of Russians are existed in Benghazi, saying that they work to help the Libyan troops in removing the mines planted by the extremists in the streets, roads and building of the Libyan city. He added that those Russians do not deal with the military officers, while they work with the Libyan cement companies.

On the political side, UN Envoy to Libya Martin Kobler called the Libyan parliament for achieving an agreement over a unified vision, praising the internationally-recognized government for its commitment to the political agreement.

Algerian governmental officials expressed their government’s refusal to provide training to the military officers of Libyan army or to provide them with arms during the current conditions witnessed in the country. They conditioned to reach a political agreement resolving the Libyan crisis in return for any logistic support.

The Algerian government expressed its readiness to host all conflicting parties in Libya during the coming rounds of negotiations and political talks aiming to end the Libyan crisis.