Fierce clashes continued in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Wednesday between Libya's National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and forces loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA).
There are ongoing clashes despite international and western demands to halt hostilities to allow local medical authorities to operate amid concerns over the new coronavirus outbreak.
LNA denounced what it described as terrorist acts launched by the militias loyal to Sarraj, including random shelling of residential areas in Tripoli, describing them as war crimes. But pro-Sarraj forces spokesman said the GNA had tackled "repeated violations" of the ceasefire by Haftar's army on Ain Zara.
The renewed clashes violate the fragile truce announced by UNSMIL in the capital on January 12.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sarraj discussed with the mayors and members of municipal councils of the Libyan western region the general mobilization plan to face the risks and consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
Although Sarraj’s government has declared a state of emergency, closing schools as well as land and air borders for three weeks, in addition to allocating YDD0.5 billion (USD350 million) to face the virus, experts have warned that the outbreak might have catastrophic consequences because of the deteriorating health condition in the country.
LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said that he remained in quarantine after returning from a business trip, becoming the first high-ranking Libyan official to go into self-isolation.
In a statement on Tuesday, he announced that he would go into a two-week quarantine along with the delegation that accompanied him, even if they had “no symptoms of infection”.
He stressed that public safety is a priority and everyone should abide by the decisions and instructions issued to fight the coronavirus outbreak, so that “we do not get involved in the spread of the pandemic.”
