One person killed, 11 wounded in air strikes against Libyan government troops near Sirte
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - At least one person was killed and 11 others were injured, one seriously, on Monday following three air strikes which targeted positions of the Sirte Protection Force.
The force reports to the Army under the Government of National Accord (GNA), a security source said.
"The air raids were carried out by Haftar's planes killing one of the Force members and injuring 11 others, one of them in serious condition," said the spokesman of the Protection and Security Force in Sirte, Taha Hadid.
He was quoted by Al-Wassat newspaper pointing out that the Force is an offshoot of operation 'Bouniane Al-Marsous', which in December 2016 eradicated the stronghold of the Islamic State (Daesh) in the city of Sirte.
Earlier, the military operation 'Volcano of Anger' of the GNA said in a statement that "United Arab Emirates drones supporting the general command led the attack".
On his part, the commander of the Sirte Security and Protection Force, Col. Major Al-Naas Abdallah Al-Naas confirmed that "Haftar's air force bombed positions of the Force inside Sirte".
Sirte is a strategic location for access to the Petroleum Crescent, a region of eastern Libya that hosts most of oil terminals under control of the Libyan National Army and is also a lock of supply routes for Haftar units in central Al-Joufra Air Base used in the current war near Tripoli.
Meanwhile, Maitigua International Airport, in the eastern suburb of Tripoli, suffered an airstrike late Sunday, according to different sources.
The media centre of "Al-Karama" military operation of Libyan National Army confirmed that violent airstrikes were carried out last night against positions of armed groups, including a Turkish operations room located at Maitigua Air Base.
-0- PANA BY/IS/KND/AR 16Sept2019
