Liberation of Benghazi Ruins Foreign Plans for Libya's Partition - National Army

Sputnik News

21:05 07.07.2017

Ahmed Mismari, spokesman of the Libyan National Army, stated that the victory in Benghazi was an issue of great importance for all Libyans.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The liberation of the Libyan port city of Benghazi by the Libyan National Army put an end to foreign plans of divide the country, Ahmed Mismari, the army's spokesman, told Sputnik on Friday.

On Wednesday, Commander of the Libyan National Army Gen. Khalifa Haftar said that the army had fully liberated the country's second most populous city from extremist militias.

"When we started the operation to liberate the city, we found out that we face different terrorist groups representing interests of different countries and political powers. That's why it is not a classic victory, it is a destruction of several lines [policy] lines targeting our country. We have defeated the troops of al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood [terrorist groups outlawed in Russia], which undermined the positions of Qatar. The victory has also destroyed the influence of Sudan that has strengthened recently, The plans to divide the country have been destroyed," Mismari said.

The spokesman stressed that the victory in Benghazi was an issue of great importance for all Libyans.

Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 civil war that resulted in the overthrow of country's longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Different territories of the African nation are controlled by various authorities. The eastern part of the crisis-torn state is governed by its parliament, with headquarters in the city of Tobruk. The parliament is backed by the Libyan National Army. At the same time, the Government of National Accord operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.

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