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Libya's General Haftar pays secret visit to Jordan

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:39PM GMT

A recent report shows that Libya's renegade general, Khalifa Haftar, has recently paid a secret visit to Jordan, where he met and conferred with Jordanian military's top brass and intelligence officials over the ongoing crisis in Libya.

According to a report published by London-based Arabic-language, Rai al-Youm, daily newspaper on Monday, General Haftar arrived in Amman last week and held talks with a number of authorities from Jordanian Ministry of Defense's coordination committee as well as the country's intelligence service.

The retired Libyan general also held meetings with Saudi and Emirati officials, and diplomats from the US Embassy in Jordan during his stay in Amman.

There are reports that General Haftar explored ways for the expansion of the US-led military coalition, currently striking positions of ISIL Takfiri militants in Iraq and Syria, to Libya, and pounding strongholds of rival forces in areas near key oil terminals in the eastern part of the crisis-stricken country.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has sent more than a dozen armored vehicles to Libya to help forces allied with General Haftar hold their ground in their battles against Libya Dawn militants.

A military source, who requested anonymity, said 16 Hurricane armored vehicles arrived in the port city of Tobruk on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast on Saturday to help pro-Haftar troops defend the oil-rich region.

The armed battle over eastern oil ports and the main border crossing to Tunisia forced the closure of the two biggest oil export terminals on December 13.

Dawn forces seized the capital, Tripoli, in August after a month-long battle with rivals and set up their own government and parliament.

Libya has been gripped by militancy and factional fighting since the ouster of the longtime dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011. Militia groups that helped drive him out are now fighting for power and a share of the country's oil revenues.

MP/HMV/SS