Libyan GNA Presidential Council regards LNA strikes on Tripoli Mitiga airport as 'war crime'

On Monday, the GNA accused the LNA of striking the Mitiga airport, which is located about eight kilometers (5 miles) east of Tripoli's city center, saying that the attack threatened the lives of civilians and the safety of flights.

“The Presidential Council is strongly condemning the airstrikes on the Mitiga International Airport by forces of [LNA commander] Khalifa Haftar … The council regards this attack as a war crime and a crime against humanity, which is violating all national laws and international agreements and which made sending ill and wounded people to hospitals impossible at this difficult moment,” the council said on late Monday in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

The council added that the GNA had taken all the measures to hold those responsible for the airstrikes on the Mitiga Airport to account.

For years, Libya has been split between the two governments: the eastern part of the country is controlled by the parliament elected in 2014 and backed by the LNA, while the UN-backed Tripoli-based GNA governs Libya's western parts.

On Thursday, Haftar ordered an offensive to retake Tripoli from the GNA-backed forces. The LNA has already recaptured a number of settlements on its way to the capital, including the Tripoli International Airport, located around 20 miles away from the capital. The forces loyal to the GNA announced a counteroffensive on Sunday, dubbed Volcano of Rage, to repel the National Army.