Tripoli - Fatima Al Saadawy
Libyan air forces launched raids targeting the sites of Darna’s Shura Council and the extremist Ansar Al Sharia group in the eastern side of Darna city. According to local sources, Omar Al Mukhtar Operation Room called the citizens to evacuate the city to protect themselves.
The sources revealed that the attacks were strong and targeted a site near the arboretum in Fataeh Mountains, as the extremist groups launched attack against the troops working with Omar Al Mokhtar Operations.
On it hand, hospital of Kobba city revealed that it received three injured people, saying that they have been injured during the clashes between the military forces and extremist militias in the Libyan city. According to military sources, the extremist militants attempted to use the civilians as human shields to suspend the military raids targeting their strongholds in the Libyan city.
On the political side, Libya’s Presidential Council issued a decision to form a military force to keep the security and stability in the Libyan city of Sirte, saying that the force will be loyal to the council’s Ministry of Defense.
According to the decision, the Libyan force will be formed of three thousand elements to bear the responsibility of securing the city and eliminating the terrorist elements in addition to supporting the state institutions to impose the security and peace in coordination with the competent authorities.
It added that the military force will work to empower the state’s security and military institutions in the city to perform their work and to protect the citizens and their possessions. The presidential council decided to appoint Brigadier General Ahmed Ali Abu Shahma as the city’s military ruler.
According to experts, the decision came to response to the move taken by Misrata’s military ruler loyal to Haftar to dissolve the city’s provincial council, adding that the presidential council attempts to impose its influence on Sirte in response to the moves taken by Haftar’s troops.
Head of Libyan Misrata Military Council Ibrahim Bin Rajab decided to dissolve the city's provincial council calling the different sectors for performing their works normally and suspending their dealing with the council to keep the current democratic approach and peaceful transition of power.
Libyan military leader said, in a statement on late Tuesday, "Due to the recent developments witnessed in the city, Misrata's Military Council met with the city's Revolutionary Union, Security Directorate and the martyrs' families. We decided to exclude the provincial council which refused to accept our invitation to attend the meeting."