UAE-backed Haftar injures Libya doctors, horses with multiple air-strikes

Haftar's air forces injured a number of medics and animals when carrying out airstrikes in Tripoli and Zawiya city.

2 min read

06 June, 2019

Khalifa Haftar is backed by the UAE [Anadolu]

Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar struck a number of civilian sites in the country, including a hospital, stables for horses and the city's only functioning airport on Thursday.

Haftar's media office said early Thursday his UAE-backed air-force destroyed a Turkish drone at war with his militia when attacking Mitiga Airport.

An airport source denied this, saying the airstrike hit an old MiG fighter in the military section of the airport, according to Libya Observer.

Flights continued to resume as normal.

Hours after the airport attack, the rogue leader's UAE-backed forces wounded three medical workers when they bombed a hospital in Swani region, south Tripoli.

A number of horses were also injured in Haftar's assault after airstrike targeted Joudaim Equestrian Club, northeast of Zawiya city in a third round of airstrikes on Thursday.

Late last month, a hotel housing the Libyan parliament was badly damaged by one of Haftar's air strikes.

The UN-backed Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) immediately accused Hafter of carrying out the bombing.

At the time, Khaled Ali Elosta, a member of the Libyan House of Representatives, said a bomb was dropped on the hotel, which lies close to the city centre, by a drone.

Haftar has backing from the UAE and Egypt, although the GNA and allied militias have managed to hold-off the assault.

Haftar is waging a war on the Libyan capital of Tripoli to oust the current government led by Fayez al-Sarraj.

The warlord advanced from his stronghold of eastern Libya with an offensive on the south of the country earlier this year, before turning his forces towards the capital.

His forces control Libya's most important oil fields, but the Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation manages production and revenues are chanelled through the central bank in the capital.

Libya has been mired in chaos since NATO-backed forces deposed and killed former dictator Muammar Gadaffi in 2011, with militias and tribes vying for control of the country's resources.