Libya: Turkish forces safely dispose of Haftar bombs

ANKARA

In eastern Libya, Turkey is continuing to safely detonate and dispose of improvised explosives and mines left behind by warlord Khalifa Haftar, said Turkey’s National Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

A video the ministry posted on Twitter showed the controlled disposal by munitions experts of ammunition and mines left behind by Haftar’s militias.

"Our staff works devotedly and heroically to clear mines and explosives that pose a great risk to civilians," the ministry said.

Turkish forces are in Libya under a defense and security cooperation agreement the two countries signed last November.

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal. Since April 2019, the government has been under attack by Haftar's forces, based in eastern Libya, and more than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence.

Recently government forces have turned the tide and forced Haftar’s retreat.

Haftar has the support of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Russia while the UN-recognized government is backed by Turkey and Qatar.