In a press statement, Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesperson Ahmed Al-Mismari said, “We may witness a great war in Sirte and Cufra in the coming hours," as he announced that Turkey and Government of National Accord (GNA) forces move towards Sirte and al-Jufra.

 

Mohammed Kanun, a spokesperson for the GNA forces, said in a statement today, "We are going to our cities which were taken from us," stressing that they plan to take back the oil cities Sirte and al-Jufra back. 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INVITES EGYPTIAN ARMY

 

House of Representatives based in the eastern city of Tobruk said it would “welcome” Egyptian military intervention in the country’s civil war to counter what it described as “breaches of Libya’s sovereignty” by Turkey, which supports the UN-recognised administration in Tripoli. House of Representatives said on Monday night that the “Turkish occupation” represented a threat to Libya and “to neighbouring countries and at their forefront the sister Egypt”. 

 

The action passed in the parliament known as the House of Representatives on Monday authorized "Egyptian armed forces to intervene to protect the national security of Libya and Egypt if they see an imminent danger to both our countries."  It accuses Turkey of invading and occupying Libya through its support of the Tripoli administration. The invitation of the House of Representatives to the Egyptian army marks a new situation in the Libyan war as the Libyan Political agreement gives executive authority to the GNA, while leaving legislative authority to the House of Representatives.

 

RED LINE: SIRTE AND AL-JUFRA

 

Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in an interview yesterday that they stated the withdrawal of LNA from Sirte and al-Jufra as a prerequisite for the ceaserfire, but this proposal of Turkey was not accepted.

 

The Eghyptian president Al-Sisi told his army in a recent speech he gave, "be prepared to carry out any mission here within our borders, or if necessary outside our borders." "Sirte and Jufra are a red line," he added.

 

Libya’s coastal city of Sirte, a strategic gateway to major oil facilities, has emerged as a critical point of contention between Turkey and Russia, with France also scrambling to impede Turkey via NATO. Al-Jufra airbase is considered to be the key to control Libya's oil ports as it is also important in terms of controlling the supply routes to Tamanhent and Brak al-Shati airbases.

 

Libya has splintered, and since election in 2014 has been divided into competing political and military factions based in Tripoli and the east as the eastern parliament does not recognise the UN-backed administration in Tripoli. Among the key leaders are Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, head of the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli; Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army, which controls much of eastern Libya; Aghela Saleh, speaker of the House of Representatives based in the eastern city of Tobruk; and Khaled Mishri, the elected head of the High State Council in Tripoli.