Libya’s Mitiga International Airport was attacked yesterday by warplanes loyal to the Libyan general Khalifa Haftar forces as pilgrims land home.
Local media reported that the airstrikes have left a number of the Libyan pilgrims, including children, as “severely injured.”
The Tripoli-based internationally-recognised the Government of National Accord said that the air navigation at the airport was “suspended,” without referring to any death cases.
The attack is part of a military campaign launched in April by Hftar forces and supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in an attempt to capture Tripoli from forces aligned with the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
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Clashes between the two sides since then have left more than 1,000 people dead and about 5,500 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Libya had remained beset by turmoil since 2011 when long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a bloody NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.
The oil-rich country has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.