Turkey on Wednesday strongly condemned air strikes by the Libyan government on an airport in Tripoli controlled by militias.

"We strongly condemn the air strikes," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that "These attacks deepen the existing problems in Libya and the atmosphere of conflict and scupper efforts to resolve the crisis by peaceful means."

The statement said the Libyan crisis could only be resolved with an end to foreign interventions, a ceasefire and comprehensive political dialogue, calling for all parties in the country to support the UN efforts.

A Libyan air force jet on Monday reportedly carried out two attacks on Maitiga air base in Tripoli, the last functioning airport in the Libyan capital. The strikes hit an area near the runway without damaging it, but caused some damage to civilian homes nearby.

Tripoli has been taken over by militias who have set up an alternative government to the elected parliament based in the coastal town of Tobruk in eastern Libya.

Armed civilians fought alongside Khalifa Hafter, the general leading a nationwide anti-Islamist campaign, in the new offensive to retake Benghazi, which fell last July in the hands of Islamist militias, including the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia.

Haftar, who played a major role in toppling Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been waging a war on Benghazi's Islamist armed groups since May.

He said his Operation Dignity were constantly pounding the Islamist armed groups like Shura Council and Ansar al-Sharia.

But Haftar's secular-leaning forces recently met several major setbacks and have lost most of their bases in Benghazi since August.

Libya has witnessed a drastic escalation of violence after the 2011 turmoil which toppled Gaddafi. The Islamist militants and pro-secular militias have been vying for cities and towns for months. Fighting still flares near Tripoli, Benghazi and Gharyan. Endit

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)