The U.N.-backed government has stepped up its attacks in attempts to keep the fighting from spilling into the capital.
By Sudarsan Raghavan Sudarsan Raghavan Cairo bureau chief covering North Africa and Yemen Email Bio Follow April 6 at 10:07 AM CAIRO — Fighter jets for Libya’s U.N.-backed government targeted forces of a renegade commander Saturday in attempts to stop his advance on the Libyan capital in a showdown that threatened to spill into bloody urban combat.
Hifter’s militia is aligned with a separate administration based in eastern Libya. The country, rich in oil and gas reserves, has been split into rival regions for years as the United Nations and others tried to hammer out a peace deal and set a road map for elections. On Thursday, Hifter ordered his forces to seize control of Tripoli following their takeover of Gharyan, a town roughly 60 miles south of the capital. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres personally intervened in a bid to stop the fighting but failed Friday to convince Hifter to halt his offensive.
“Whenever rival armed forces clash in Libyan cities, it’s civilians who suffer the most,” Sarah Leah Whitson, the group’s Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement. “All sides need to abide by the laws and minimize civilian harm.”
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