Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Further Reading

• EU launches Operation IRINI to enforce Libya arms embargo EC/CEU 31 Mar 2020 -- The European Union is stepping up its efforts to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya, thereby contributing to the peace process in the country, through the launch of a new CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) military operation in the Mediterranean.
• If Coronavirus Hits Libyan Detention Centers It Would be a 'Massacre' VOA 30 Mar 2020 -- While much of the world is under orders to practice social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus, there are certain places where such distance is impossible.
• Libyan government airstrike kills senior rebel commanders Press TV 29 Mar 2020 -- Libyan government forces have launched an attack on rebel forces commanded by renegade general Khalifa Haftar, killing a number of their top commanders in an airstrike on the country's volatile north.
• Possible COVID-19 Outbreak in Libya to Be 'Catastrophic' Amid Protracted Conflict, UN Warns Sputnik 28 Mar 2020 -- Should a COVID-19 outbreak begin in Libya, it will overwhelm the war-torn country's already overstretched healthcare system, Jennifer Bose Ratka, public information officer at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Libya, said.
• Haftar's LNA Air Forces Attack GNA Positions in Western Libya – Military Source Sputnik 27 Mar 2020 -- The air forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, carried out on Friday three air raids targeting a number of positions of the rival Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) in the country's west, a local military source said.
• Libya clashes continue despite UN ceasefire calls amid pandemic Press TV 25 Mar 2020 -- Despite calls by the United Nations for global ceasefires to focus on the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, a new battle has erupted between Libya's rival forces at an airbase outside Tripoli.
• Third Day of Fighting Rocks Libyan Capital Amid Country's First Coronavirus Case VOA 25 Mar 2020 -- Libyan fighter jets flew over the strategic al-Watiya Airbase near the capital Tripoli, amid conflicting reports over which side now controls the area. Sporadic fighting also continued in the capital Wednesday, as residents reported artillery shells falling in various parts of the city.
• UN welcomes response by Libyan parties to calls for humanitarian pause UN News 21 Mar 2020 -- The United Nations on Saturday welcomed the "positive responses" of Libya's Tripoli-based government and the Libyan National Army (LNA) to calls for a pause to stop the fighting, in the hopes that this would allow humanitarian access throughout the crisis-torn country and head off the potential threat of COVID-19.
• THE UNITED STATES CALLS ON LNA TO OBSERVE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN LIBYA US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2020 -- "The United States joins the UN Support Mission in Libya in welcoming the decision of Libyan Prime Minister al-Sarraj to endorse an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities to allow local authorities to come together in response to the unprecedented public health challenge posed by COVID-19."
• Libya's UN-Backed GNA Forces Building Getaway Base Near Tunisia – LNA Sputnik 15 Mar 2020 -- The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya is building a base near Tunisia to escape to if the Libyan National Army (LNA) seizes the capital, a spokesman for the eastern-based administration said Sunday.
• Libyan National Army Claims It Hit Tripoli's Mitiga Airport Killing Turkish Servicemen Sputnik 15 Mar 2020 -- Turkey has been sending troops to war-torn Libya to support the UN-backed Government of National Accord. According to Turkish President Erdogan, Ankara seeks to protect the GNA from being overthrown by the Libyan National Army, which supports the eastern-based interim government in the port city of Tobruk.
• UAE pouring arms, military supplies into Libya despite UN arms embargo: Report Press TV 12 Mar 2020 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is pouring arms and military supplies into Libya despite a United Nations arms embargo against the war-ravaged country, a report says.
• No military solution to Libyan conflict: Germany's Merkel Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel says there is no military solution to the conflict in war-torn Libya, stressing that an immediate ceasefire is necessary for a political process to continue.
• Egypt, UAE establish Libyan naval commando unit to fight Turkey Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt has reportedly set up a special naval operations force made up of Libyan commandos, which is tasked with targeting Turkish naval interests off Libyan coasts.
• Declaring commitment to 'peace and stability' for Libya, top UN envoy steps down as stress takes its toll UN News 02 Mar 2020 -- After serving more than two years as the UN's Special Representative in charge of finding a way to a lasting peace in war-torn Libya, Ghassan Salamé - who also heads up the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) - handed in his resignation on Monday, citing failing health caused by the immense stress of the job.