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On May 14th, at least 14 were reportedly injured after shelling hit the Tripoli Central Hospital.
14 injured after Haftar forces strike #Tripoli Central Hospital. #Libya pic.twitter.com/yN5X34AgNh
— Libyan Express (@libyanexpress) May 14, 2020
This attack is blamed on Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and likely on the UAE-operated drones that assist the forces.
LNA shelling in and around Tripoli is continuing, with the clashes appearing to be at a standstill, once again.
مشروع الموز تحت نيران قواتكم المسلحة العربية الليبيه الان .. اللهم سدد ???
— غصة الخوارج (@LiBya_73) May 14, 2020
On the side of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and its Turkish supporters, the push on al-Watiya airbase and Bani Walid is continuing.
There are no active clashes, simply sporadic shelling by the GNA on LNA positions, as well as continuing drone surveillance and strikes by Turkish forces.
There was #GNA airstrike near Beni Walid.
— Tashfin (@TashfinLy) May 14, 2020
The Government of National Accord had targeted a Grad Multiple Rocket Launcher of #Haftar in Southern Tripoli. pic.twitter.com/hisJlNYE9c
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 14, 2020
Just days earlier, reportedly, a Russian-made air defense system was destroyed on the way to Tarhuna, which was also subject to heavy pushing from GNA’s side, without much success.
مصادر عسكري : مؤكد تدمير منظومة دفاع جوي روسية في الشويرف كانت في طريقها الى ترهونة بعد استهدافها من قبل سلاح الجو
— ابراهيم قصودة ???? (@EbrahimGasuda) May 12, 2020
The LNA, however, isn’t simply sitting idly allowing itself to be pounded by drone strikes and shelling. As there’s footage of Turkish drones being downed by LNA forces.
#Libya– cool video showing #GNA quadcopter taken down by #LNA using an anti-drone gun, south of #Tripoli pic.twitter.com/tOuBqeKcxi
— Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) May 12, 2020
At the same time, Turkey is losing no time to exploit the situation: Turkish Petroleum applied to Libya for an exploitation permit in the Eastern Mediterranean, which is one of the reasons why the maritime agreements were concluded between the Tripoli-based GNA and Ankara.
Reuters: “#Turkish Petroleum has applied to #Libya for an exploration permit in the eastern #Mediterranean”
Big slap in response to May 11th’s joint declaration issued by #Greece, #Cyprus, #Egypt, #France, & the #UAE. #MoU #EEZ #LNAhttps://t.co/lBqfJZXsXF pic.twitter.com/bObdLvuLcB
— Jalel Harchaoui (@JMJalel_H) May 14, 2020
Essentially, Turkey believes that it has done a sufficient job assisting the GNA forces, and is deserving of some form of “payment.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also claimed that “powerless parties” were attempting to hide Turkish progress in Libya and Syria, but it wouldn’t work.
Erdogan: Powerless parties are attempting to hinder our progress in #Libya and #Syria https://t.co/8JsmeHwDr0
— The Libya Observer (@Lyobserver) May 13, 2020
In a speech after a governmental meeting, Erdogan added that Ankara would not abandon their cause for the sake of “forces of evil” which emanate from terrorist organizations to the “axis of hostility, which comes from the Gulf region”.
Erdogan also pointed out that Turkey would continue to foil the schemes of those who believe that they are capable of destroying its economy, and that it would continue to strongly defend its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea.
Currently, the holy month of Ramadan is being observed, through to May 23rd, and as such fighting is not as active as it should be, but Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s call for ceasefire during the holiday were rejected, and as such it still simmers.
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