Libya’s Sebha airport re-open to air traffic in 16 August, after five years from its closure in January 2014, due to security problems, the Libyan Airport Authority said on its Facebook page.
For the first time, the airport in the main southern city of Sebha has received a commercial flight which landed from Benina airport in Benghazi.
Due to the ongoing clashes between the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Libyan National Army (LNA), the Southern Libya is suffering from insecurity and chaos.
The LNA announced in its Facebook page that the air force have targeted a moving patrol of the GNA, nine kilos away from the small town of Taraghin in the Murzuk Desert in 17 August.
In a different context, although the cease-fire truce proposed by the UN and accepted by the country’s warring sides, aiming to halt combat in the capital Tripoli during Eid al-Adha holiday. Libya has witness skirmishes in the past week.
In 10 August, a bomb-laden vehicle exploded in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, targeted a convoy for the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL), killing at least two UN security staff, injuring nine people including a 3-year-old child.
In 11 August, the Salahaddin area has been exposed to tank and artillery fire, whole three Grad rockets were also launched from southern Tripoli towards Mitiga Airport, and two rockets striked the airport causing material damage to the runway. However the third rocket hit a residential building in the adjacent neighborhood, injuring four civilians. Moreover Kasirma area north of Tripoli International Airport faced tank and artillery fire, there were overflights by unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the city of Misrata.
In 12 August, clashes took place in the Tweisheh area south of Tripoli International Airport, in addition to overflights by unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the city during the day.
The UNSMIL announced in its official site, that the truce was not respected in Murzuq, due to the ongoing clashes between the Tebu tribe and al-Ahali community, killing seven individuals and wounding 54 others.
The mission received reports in 12 August, about burned houses, looting and retaliatory attacks, which displaced approximately 5,000 individuals to Wadi Ettebah and around 200 to Al-Gatroun area.
In 15 August, the LNA has claimed responsibility for the strikes against Mitiga airport, which killed a security guard and injuring others, as well as the strikes targeting Zuwarah International Airport, which allegedly used for the Turkish drones, according to the LNA’s official Facebook page.
