Haftar's forces vow to launch a military operation in Tripoli within days

Major Mohamed Hijazi, spokesperson of the Karama (Dignity) Operation, an anti-Islamist offensive launched earlier this year by former general Khalifa Haftar, said that his troops will launch a military operation within days in Tripoli which is currently witnessing intense artillery fighting between rival militias.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency on Friday, Hijazi said his troops have almost completed preparations for the operation, and that it will be conducted in coordination with forces from Zintan city (north-west Libya) and pro-Haftar air forces.

The operation, he said, will be led by the new military chief of staff General Abdelrazek Al-Nazouri.

It was not immediately possible to get a statement from Al-Nazouri on this operation. No official statement has been issued in this regard as of 21:00 GMT on Friday.

The announcement comes amidst media reports suggesting that pro-Haftar troops are preparing to advance towards Tripoli. Libyan officials, however, downplay these reports and consider them part of a “media warfare” between rival troops.

Since the ouster of long-time dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been plagued by political polarisation between Nationalist and Islamist forces. This has left the country with two conflicting authorities: first, the parliament in Tobruk and Abdullah Al-Thinni’s government along with the army commander Abdelrazek Al-Nazouri, while the second is the Libyan National Congress with the appointed head of government Omar Al-Hasy and the resigned army chief of staff Jadallah Al-Obeidy.

Islamists in Libya accuse the Tobruk parliament of backing the Al-Karama Operation.