Haftar's army demands Libya militias surrender

The Libyan National Army, led by renegade General Khalifa Haftar, has called on all armed militiamen in Benghazi to give up their weapons and respect the state, in a statement made on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Colonel Mohammad al-Hejazi said that the terrorists, takfirists and criminals had gathered in the city of Benghazi, after travelling from across the world.

Haftar’s “Operation Dignity” is being exercised to liberate Libya from terrorism, the spokesman said as armed militias battle to take control of Benghazi’s civilian and military airport from forces allied to Moammar Qaddafi-era General Haftar. Haftar declared Operation Dignity earlier this year in a push to clear the country of Islamist militias.

Also on Tuesday, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday urged the international community to take decisive action in Libya, which he said was becoming a “hub for terrorist groups,” Agence France-Presse reported.

In an interview with Le Figaro daily, Le Drian said: “We need to act in Libya and mobilize the international community.”

“Today, I am sounding the alarm about the seriousness of the situation in Libya. The south is a sort of hub for terrorist groups where they come to resupply - including with weapons - and reorganize,” added the minister.

“In the north, the political and economic centers of the country are now at risk from falling under jihadist control. And Libya is the gateway both to Europe and the Sahara,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch said on Monday that Libyan militia forces battling for control of Tripoli and surrounding areas have engaged in attacks on civilians and civilian property that in some cases amount to war crimes.

(With AFP)