A date for the end of the military operation in Tripoli cannot be determined as some countries provide terrorist groups with weapons and ammunition during the war, speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, who supports the Libyan National Army (LNA), said Wednesday.
“But I expect that the capital will be liberated in the shortest time possible, given the need to guarantee the safety of citizens, respect for their rights, and the security of their property. Only the commanders on the battlefield can determine the approximate time the fighting will end,” Saleh told Sputnik News.
Libyan officials have accused Qatar and Turkey of supporting and funding “terrorist groups” in Libya, who in turn allegedly defend the Government of National Accord (GNA) against the LNA.
“Regardless of [GNA Prime Minister Faiez] al-Sarraj’s visits abroad, what was hidden from a number of states before has become obvious now: terrorists control the capital, loot public funds, bribe, and pay for mercenaries and criminals in the interests of the government, which the Libyan people have rejected through their elected representatives,” Saleh said.
Saleh added that the parliament is satisfied with the progress of the operation and it aims to liberate the capital from terrorist groups with minimal losses.
In late April, the parliament speaker reiterated his support to the LNA operation to “liberate” Tripoli from armed groups, on which the GNA largely depend to maintain security.
The parliament will prepare for the elections after the LNA ends its operation, launched April 4, to “uproot terrorist and armed groups from Tripoli, Aguila said.
