Haftar orders bombing of Italian warships requested by Sarraj

Libyan commander General Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army, has ordered the bombing of any Italian warships requested by the prime minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya Fayez al-Sarraj, excluding merchant vessels.

This comes after the government of national accord announced the arrival of the Italian navy ship ‘Commandante Prozini’ on Wednesday.

On board the Italian ship was a group of experts in various fields en route to the naval base of Tripoli to assist the Libyan navy and Coast Guard in combating illegal immigrants within Libyan territorial waters, off the coast of Tripoli.

Sarraj had asked Rome to assist the authorities in Tripoli to stop illegal immigration through Libya’s territorial waters.

This act has angered a number of Libyan activists who considered the move a “violation of Libyan sovereignty.”