The "444th Brigade" of Libyan army commits to ceasefire

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan elite armed unit, known as Brigade 444, Saturday announced its commitment to respect the ceasefire in Tripoli following "the orders of the High Commander and Chief of Staff of the army and the Minister of Defence", official sources said here Sunday.

It rejected accusations of receiving funds from outside brought against it by the military commander of Tripoli.

The announcement comes a day after violent clashes occurred on the perimeter of the Khalifa El-Tekbali barracks in the area of Salaheddine, suburb of Tripoli, neighborhood of this elite army unit, and which depends on the military region of Tripoli under the supervision of the Libyan army staff.

According to the military commander of Tripoli, General Abdelbaset Marouane, the clashes inside the military area were part of the will of the military hierarchy to correct the drift of the 444th Fighting Brigade after "the observation made on its refusal to obey orders".

He added that he had ordered members of the "stability support body" to take control of the Brigade's weapons stocks, which included individuals from outside the military services.

The 444th Brigade said in a statement issued on Saturday that its decision to respect the ceasefire came after it "repelled a surprise attack by a group of outlaws who were intent on executing a despicable foreign agenda" on Friday.

It strongly denied accusations of foreign funding, asking Tripoli's military commander, General Abdelbaset Marouane, to review "with the Ministry of Defence who paid the sum of money quoted in a traceable and administratively regular manner".

The Brigade was also "surprised by the accusations about his disobedience of orders, despite the fact that the military commander of Tripoli relied on a contingent of Brigade members installed in the Khalifa El-Takbali barracks on the same day he made his statements".

This way of accusing "is unprofessional and harms the Libyan army whose officers are known for their great professionalism and that the reality proves the opposite of these accusations", the 444th Brigade said.

It added that its officers "have shown great professionalism, exceptional intelligence and rare competence in providing security, confronting criminals and fighting all forms of crime in all the sites under its control".

It said it had taken all legal measures "to prosecute and punish all those involved in provoking lawlessness, leading to disorder", warning that all violations of public order would be rigorously and forcefully punished.

In a video circulating on social media, one of the members of the Brigade, surrounded by people in balaclavas, claimed that he and his comrades were among those who attacked the barracks and that they were members of the stability support body, one of the security units under the government.

The military commander of Tripoli denied "any connection of the security services with these clashes". The elite unit announced that its elements were deployed this Saturday in the city of Tarhoina, 120 km south of Tripoli in Beni Walid, 180 km south of the capital, in Salaheddine, Souani, Kasser Ben Ghachir, Souk Khames, Seyah and Sabiya (southern and south-western suburbs of Tripoli).

They were also deployed in Wadi Rabii and Khalat Forjan, eastern suburbs of the capital, to ensure security in all these parts of the country.

The Libyan Presidential Council, in its capacity as the supreme leader of the army, has instructed the army headquarters to investigate the causes of the clashes, which resulted in deaths and injuries and caused material damage while terrifying the civilian population.

Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba chaired a meeting with the military hierarchy on Saturday but no information was released from the meeting.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya has expressed "deep concern" over the fighting, which has seen uncontrolled gunfire in Salaheddine, a popular district of the capital.

In a statement issued Friday, UNSMIL called for an immediate halt to the fighting, urging all parties to exercise restraint and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian structures in accordance with international law.

-0- PANA AD/IN/IS/BBA/RA 5Sept2021