The Libyan National Army accused on Tuesday militias loyal to the Government of National Accord of launching an attack in which a Turkish drone struck a food truck convoy in the country’s west, killing at least five civilians.
LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said the drone strike took place late Monday near the district of Mizda, 184 kilometers south of Tripoli.
The militias denied attacking civilians, saying they targeted trucks carrying equipment and ammunition for the LNA’s operation against Tripoli.
Turkey has sent armored drones, air defenses and more recently, Syrian mercenaries with links to extremist groups to prop up the embattled Tripoli-based GNA.
The LNA has since April 2019 been waging an operation to liberate Tripoli from the GNA militias, making steady advanced on the capital. It has repeatedly declared that victory was near.
On Monday, military commander Khalifa Haftar declared that he has accepted the “people’s mandate” to rule Libya, saying that the 2015 Skheirat agreement is a “thing of the past.”
