On Saturday, a drone strike by the Libyan army demolished a Russian-made Pantsir air defense system which was deployed by self-renegade Gen. Khalifa Haftar.
Libyan army air elements had a target on the Pantsir system, which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) delivered to the key al-Watiya Air Base, acknowledged the military spokesman for the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), Muhammed Kanunu’s statement.
Recently, many towns were liberated by the Libyan Army from Haftar’s militia considering it as part of Operation Volcano of Rage
The military after that launched an operation armed to take al-Watiya Air Base, located 140 kilometers (86.9 miles) southeast of Tripoli, from Haftar.
Following the ousting of late dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya’s legitimate government was founded in 2015 under a U.N.-led political deal. Since April 2019, the GNA has been under attack by Haftar’s forces, based in eastern Libya, and more than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence. In the past few weeks, the GNA has made significant gains against forces loyal to warlord Haftar, supported by France, Russia, the UAE and Egypt, while some provinces announced their support for the official government after months of bombing and shelling by Haftar on civilians, hospitals and schools.
In 2015, Libya’s legitimate government under a U.N.-led political deal was founded. Since April 2016, more than 1,000 people have been murdered and tortured in the violence as the GNA has been under attack by Haftar’s forces, based in eastern Libya. The GNA over few weeks significantly made gains against forces loyal to warlord Haftar, which got support from, Russia, France, the UAE and Egypt including some other provinces declared to give support to the official government.