ALGIERS, November 28 (Sputnik) – An Algerian Foreign Ministry official in an interview with Sputnik on Friday denied receiving a US request to set up military bases or use the country's air space to carry out attacks on militants in Libya.
"Algeria has not received any request from the United States or from any other country concerning the issue," the source, who preferred to remain anonymous told Sputnik.
The source added that Algeria intended to stick to the principle of rejecting foreign interference in Libya and called for a peaceful resolution of the situation.
"Washington is well-informed of the Algerian position. That it is against any foreign military bases on its territory and opposes foreign countries using its air space with the goal of conducting attacks on the [militants'] positions in a friendly state," the source said.
The foreign ministry official went on to say that even from a geographical point of view setting up foreign military facilities in the west of Libya did not make sense as the "military bases of terrorist groups such as Ansar al-Sharia and others are located in the eastern regions, not far from Egypt."
Earlier media reports suggested that Washington has asked Algeria and Tunisia for permission to place military bases on their territories and use their air space to carry out attacks on the Ansar al-Sharia group in Libya.
Tunisian Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou told Sputnik on Friday that Tunisia would not allow foreign bases to be situated in the country in order to conduct attacks in a friendly state either.
Libya is currently facing its worst wave of violence since 2011 when the country's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and a civil war broke out. Currently several militias are fighting for power in the country.
