Al-Thani's government says forces ready to recapture Tripoli

The Libyan government headed by Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thani said yesterday that its military forces stationed on the outskirts of the city of Tripoli began advancing to recapture the city, challenging the legitimacy of the Tobruk parliament, east of the country, the Anadolu Agency reported.

In a statement they said: “The Libyan army forces began military operations to enter the city of Tripoli to combat the outlawed armed groups which seized control of the city with the force of arms and broke into the headquarters of the legitimate government” in reference to the Libya Dawn militias.

The government accused the militia of “practicing terrorism against the citizens in Tripoli” and demanded they “lay down their arms”, promising to “ensure their safety” and that they would “receive humane treatment according to the law”.

Further, the statement threatened to “use force against anyone who resists its forces and endangers the lives of innocent citizens and destroy public and private property.”