Al-Qaeda urges Libyans to fight rogue General Haftar

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb urged Libyans to fight a rogue general who is pressing an offensive against Islamist militias in the country's east, labelling him an "enemy of Islam".

Last month, ex-general Khalifa Haftar unleashed forces from his so-called National Army on Islamist militias in Benghazi in a campaign dubbed "Operation Dignity".

"We call on you to unite to remove the symbol of treachery and apostasy, Khalifa Haftar, and the supporters of (late dictator Muammar) Qaddafi who are under his command," AQIM said in a statement posted on jihadist Internet forums.

"Thanks to the support of the bloodthirsty (Egyptian president elect Abdel Fattah al-) Sisi, American complicity and funding from Gulf countries, the traitor Haftar has launched a war against Islam on the pretext of fighting terrorism," it said.

"We warn our Libyan brothers that the criminal Haftar is carrying out a crusader plan against sharia (Islamic law), and we especially urge the Libyan heroes of the revolution to strongly resist it".

Authorities denounced Haftar as an outlaw, but he has won over units from the regular army and air force and says he aims to crush "terrorism" in the eastern city.

Since the 2011 uprising that ousted Qaddafi, near-daily attacks blamed on radical Islamists have targeted security forces in Benghazi.

Militias of ex-rebels who fought in the 2011 uprising have refused to hand over their weapons and have carved out fiefdoms for themselves across the mostly desert nation.

On Tuesday, jihadist militia Ansar al-Sharia slammed Haftar and threatened that he could end up like Qaddafi, killed by rebels eight months after the 2011 uprising erupted.

Ansar al-Sharia, classified as a terrorist group by Washington, also called on Libyans to disassociate themselves from the "dignity" campaign.

But Haftar says the people have given him a "mandate" to press ahead with his offensive after thousands demonstrated in Tripoli and Benghazi to support him.

Late Friday, he "thanked" Libyans who took part in the rallies in the two cities on Friday for the second week running.

"No steps backwards until the country is liberated, security and stability restored and freedom and democracy established," he said in a statement read on private television.