Libyan National Army Says Gains Ground on Way to Country's Capital Tripoli

CAIRO (Sputnik) - Forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar managed to drive back the units of the Government of National Accord (GNA) on the approaches to Tripoli and are moving toward the city centre, LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari said on Monday.

"The armed forces pushed the terrorists in all directions around Tripoli and are moving towards the centre of the city," Mismari wrote on Facebook.

At the same time, the Libyan media reported that violent clashes, involving grenade launchers and artillery, in the areas of Salah al-Din, Al-Khilla, Biar Alliak, Al-Sabia on the outskirts of the Libyan capital continued.

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According to the Internet portal Libya Akhbar, LNA aviation attacked the GNA forces before another attempt to storm the capital.

The clashes in Libya erupted on April 4, when Haftar ordered his troops to advance on Tripoli to free it from what he called terrorists. As a result, the LNA gained control over the cities of Surman and Garyan. On April 7, the UN- and EU-backed GNA announced a counteroffensive, dubbed Volcano of Rage, to confront the LNA.

Libya has been suffering from unrest since 2011 when long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed. Since then the country has been split between two rival governments, with an elected parliament, supported by Haftar's army, governing the country's east and the GNA ruling the west from Tripoli.