East Libyan forces have targeted rival brigades with a series of air strikes in the southern region of Jufra, officials and witnesses said on Sunday, three days after dozens of their men were killed in a surprise attack on an air base.

The escalation risks reigniting warfare in Libya&#39;s central desert regions, where forces aligned with the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) have skirmished since late last year with opponents aligned with a UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

The two sides represent the main factions in a sporadic conflict between shifting alliances that have fought for power in Libya since 2014.

A resident in Jufra said LNA air strikes had caused casualties, though the number of dead and injured was unclear.

Details of Thursday&#39;s attack on Brak Al-Shati air base, about 150 miles (240 km) south of Jufra, are still emerging. It was led by the 13th Brigade, which operates under the GNA&#39;s defence minister. He was suspended on Friday pending an investigation.

The LNA says as many as 141 were killed, some of them summarily, and has pledged a forceful response. Medical and local officials said on Friday that at least 89 had died, but that the toll was incomplete.

Human Rights Watch cited a local hospital official as saying that five corpses had arrived at a local hospital with bound arms, and that six more were disfigured in a way that suggested their heads had been run over by a vehicle.

The HRW statement on Sunday also quoted an LNA soldier as saying some civilian workers were killed, and that he witnessed nine of his comrades being executed.

&quot;As they were shooting they were shouting, &#39;You apostates, you enemies of God,&#39;&quot; the soldier was quoted as saying.

A spokesman for the 13th Brigade, also known as the Third Force, has said the raid on Brak Al-Shati base was a response to attacks against another air base that it controls to the south, and that those they attacked were armed.

&quot;We carried out a rapid, surprise attack,&quot; the spokesman, Mohamed Gliwan, told Reuters by telephone. &quot;The number of their dead was high because they were like sheep in a pen.&quot;

&quot;We do not have casualties among our fighters because there was not a military confrontation ... They did not have time to fight back.&quot;

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalation.

&quot;He is particularly disturbed by the high number of fatalities as well as reports of summary executions of civilians, which, if confirmed, may constitute war crimes,&quot; spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. &nbsp;

(Reuters)

The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) have skirmished since late last year with opponents aligned with a UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli

East Libyan forces have targeted rival brigades with a series of air strikes in the southern region of Jufra, officials and witnesses said on Sunday, three days after dozens of their men were killed in a surprise attack on an air base. The escalation risks reigniting warfare in Libya's central desert regions, where forces aligned with the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) have skirmished since late last year with opponents aligned with a UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. The two sides represent the main factions in a sporadic conflict between shifting alliances that have fought for power in Libya since 2014. A resident in Jufra said LNA air strikes had caused casualties, though the number of dead and injured was unclear. Details of Thursday's attack on Brak Al-Shati air base, about 150 miles (240 km) south of Jufra, are still emerging. It was led by the 13th Brigade, which operates under the GNA's defence minister. He was suspended on Friday pending an investigation. The LNA says as many as 141 were killed, some of them summarily, and has pledged a forceful response. Medical and local officials said on Friday that at least 89 had died, but that the toll was incomplete. Human Rights Watch cited a local hospital official as saying that five corpses had arrived at a local hospital with bound arms, and that six more were disfigured in a way that suggested their heads had been run over by a vehicle. The HRW statement on Sunday also quoted an LNA soldier as saying some civilian workers were killed, and that he witnessed nine of his comrades being executed. "As they were shooting they were shouting, 'You apostates, you enemies of God,'" the soldier was quoted as saying. A spokesman for the 13th Brigade, also known as the Third Force, has said the raid on Brak Al-Shati base was a response to attacks against another air base that it controls to the south, and that those they attacked were armed. "We carried out a rapid, surprise attack," the spokesman, Mohamed Gliwan, told Reuters by telephone. "The number of their dead was high because they were like sheep in a pen." "We do not have casualties among our fighters because there was not a military confrontation ... They did not have time to fight back." UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalation. "He is particularly disturbed by the high number of fatalities as well as reports of summary executions of civilians, which, if confirmed, may constitute war crimes," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. (Reuters)

East Libyan Forces launch airstrikes against rival forces after airbase attack

An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Friday.

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar&#39;s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier.

LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late Friday said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place.

&quot;The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren&#39;t armed. Most of them were executed,&quot; he said.

The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack.

It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified.

Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action.

The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east.

UN envoy enraged&nbsp;

The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

&quot;I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place,&quot; UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

Britain&#39;s ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault.

&quot;Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati &amp; reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.

The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south&#39;s main city of Sebha.

That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2.

The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a &quot;serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi&quot;.

Aguila Saleh said there were a &quot;number of martyrs&quot; in LNA ranks, without giving a figure.

The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces &quot;to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias&quot;.

In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan.

&quot;We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop,&quot; it said.

The unity government&#39;s defence ministry laid the blame on &quot;those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks&quot;, referring to Haftar&#39;s forces.

In new violence on Friday, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said.

(AFP)

Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier

An attack on an airbase in south Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, a spokesman for his forces said on Friday. Members of the Third Force militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli on Thursday attacked the base used by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), military sources said earlier. LNA spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari late Friday said the victims included civilians who worked at the Brak al-Shati airbase or were in the nearby area, also reporting that summary executions took place. "The soldiers were returning from a military parade. They weren't armed. Most of them were executed," he said. The GNA said in a statement late Friday a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the attack. It said it had decided to suspend its defence minister, al-Mahdi al-Barghati, and the head of the Third Force from their duties until those responsible were identified. Both the GNA and defence ministry earlier condemned the assault and said they had not ordered any such action. The unity government, the rival administration in eastern Libya and their respective backers are battling for influence in the North African country which has been wracked by chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. The LNA does not recognise the authority of the GNA, and instead supports the rival authorities based in the east. UN envoy enraged The UN envoy to Libya earlier on Friday voiced alarm at reports of the attack on the base, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli. "I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place," UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement. Britain's ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, also denounced the assault. "Disgusted by attack on Brak al-Shati & reports of mass executions. Perpetrators must be brought to justice," he wrote on Twitter. The incident at the base in Wadi al-Shati district comes a month after an attack by the LNA on the Tamenhant airbase controlled by the Third Force near the south's main city of Sebha. That attack was called off after a reconciliation meeting between Haftar and unity government head Fayez al-Sarraj in Abu Dhabi on May 2. The speaker of the eastern-based parliament, which is supported by the LNA, accused the Misrata-based Third Force of a "serious breach of the truce agreement reached in Abu Dhabi". Aguila Saleh said there were a "number of martyrs" in LNA ranks, without giving a figure. The speaker said he had given orders for the armed forces "to take the measures necessary to respond to the assault and defend the south and cleanse it of all outlaw militias". In Tripoli, the GNA called for an immediate ceasefire in the south, where tribes and militias vie for control of lucrative smuggling routes with neighbouring Chad, Niger and Sudan. "We hope reason will prevail and that the escalation and provocation will stop," it said. The unity government's defence ministry laid the blame on "those who started bombing Tamenhant base with warplanes and tanks", referring to Haftar's forces. In new violence on Friday, a pro-Haftar tribal chief, Sheikh Ibrayek Alwati, and five other people including a child were killed in a car bombing outside a mosque in the eastern city of Slouq, medical and security sources said. (AFP)

Libya: 141 killed in attack on airbase

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East Libyan Forces launch airstrikes against rival forces after airbase attack

Libya: 141 killed in attack on airbase