The Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Libya today at Russia’s request. Turkish troops have begun deploying to Libya, and a new agreement granting Turkey rights to an area in the Mediterranean Sea containing recently discovered gas reserves has prompted criticism from neighboring countries (Al Jazeera)
Turkey Approves Military Support for Libya
Turkey’s parliament approved the deployment of troops to support Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli and established a one-year mandate to send the country weapons, planes, and vehicles (Al-Monitor)
EU Aid Diverted to Libyan Militias
An Associated Press investigation found that millions of dollars sent from the European Union to Libya and meant to improve conditions in migrant detention centers and fight human trafficking have been diverted to militias, traffickers, and coast guard members who exploit migrants (Associated Press)
Turkey Announces Plan to Send Troops to Libya
The Turkish government aims to pass a bill authorizing troop reinforcements for Libya’s internationally recognized government by January 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said (Reuters)
Libya’s civil war intensified in recent weeks after an offensive on Tripoli by rebel commander Khalifa Haftar, who is supported by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia-backed military contractors (Al Jazeera)
Libya Requests Military Assistance From Turkey
The internationally recognized Libyan government activated a military pact requesting Turkey’s assistance in defending Tripoli from an assault by renegade General Khalifa Haftar (Guardian)
Libya’s Haftar Announces Battle to Take Tripoli
General Khalifa Haftar, the commander of forces at war with the Libyan government, announced in a television address that he would immediately begin an offensive to capture the capital of Tripoli (Al Jazeera)
Libyan Airport Reopens in Tripoli
Tripoli’s Mitiga airport will resume some operations, after months of airstrikes forced its closure in early September. The seaside airport will be fully operational, according to Libya’s transportation minister, by the end of the year (Reuters)
General Haftar Calls for No-Fly Zone Over Tripoli
General Khalifa Haftar declared a no-fly zone over the city of Tripoli, prohibiting any flights over the capital city without approval from Haftar’s Libyan National Army. The internationally-recognized government in Libya maintained that the targeting of civil aviation violates international law (Al Jazeera)
Gunmen Kill Two Women, Three Children Near Tripoli
A family of two women and three children were shot and killed by militants on a highway near Tripoli. The attack comes just days after an airstrike in the capital city killed at least three other civilians (ABC News)
U.S. Air Strike Targets Islamic State Fighters in Libya
The United States says it launched an air strike, killing seven Islamic State militants in the town of Murzuq, Libya. The attack follows a series of U.S. air strikes targeting Islamic State fighters in Libya’s southwestern region over the past month (Voice of America)
Libya’s Haftar Open to Dialogue With Internationally Recognized Government
General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), suggested he is open to talks with Libya’s internationally recognized government. General Haftar’s call for dialogue is a reversal of his previous dismissal of peace talks (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Launches Air Strike on Islamic State in Libya
The United States said it has conducted an air strike, killing eleven suspected Islamic State militants in Murzuq, Libya. UN Libya envoy Ghassan Salame told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday that more than one hundred civilians have been killed in Murzuq over the past two months (Reuters)
Air Strikes Kill Eight in Libya
General Khalifa Haftar’s forces killed eight fighters from the internationally recognized Libyan government during air strikes near Tripoli (Reuters)
Separately, according to the United Nations, forty people may have died in a shipwreck off of Libya’s coast. The ship was carrying migrants toward Europe (Reuters)
Civilian Death Rates Rise in Libya
The United Nations reported that at least ninety civilians have been killed in recent days and nearly ten thousand people have been displaced this month in the southern town of Murzuq (United Nations)
Airstrikes Damage Libyan Airport
Khalifa Haftar’s forces used airstrikes to damage a civilian airport in Zuawara (Reuters)
Separately, Libya reopened its airport in Sebha, which closed in 2014 due to security concerns (Reuters)
Fighting in Libya Resumes as Eid al-Adha Truce Ends
A two-day ceasefire agreement observing Eid al-Adha expired yesterday, as fighting resumed around Tripoli (Associated Press)
Libyan Warring Parties Agree to Truce
Libya’s internationally recognized government negotiated a truce with Khalifa Haftar’s forces during the three-day Eid al-Adha festival (BBC)
Separately, a car bomb in Benghazi killed three UN staff members. The Benghazi municipal council said that the convoy of the UN Support Mission in Libya was the bombing’s intended target (Associated Press)
Libyan Militants Attack Misrata Air College
Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army attacked Misrata’s air college today. Misrata is considered the main base of forces loyal to Libya’s internationally-recognized government (Reuters)
Drone Attack Kills Forty People in Southwestern Libya
A drone attack killed at least forty people in Murzuq, Libya. Khalifa Haftar’s forces were accused of the attack (Al Jazeera)
Separately, Libya’s Mitiga airport resumed air traffic after suspending operations for several hours amidst shelling (Reuters)
UN Envoy Urges Cease-Fire in Libya
The top UN envoy for Libya call for a cease-fire during the upcoming Eid holiday, noting that more than one hundred civilians have been killed since an uptick in fighting around Tripoli that began in April (United Nations)
Separately, missiles hit Tripoli’s Mitiga airport yesterday, leading the airport to briefly suspend air traffic (Reuters)
Airstrike on Libyan Hospital Kills Five
An airstrike on a government-backed hospital killed five people and injured at least eight others (Reuters)
Separately, bout 150 migrants aiming to reach Europe drowned in a shipwreck off the coast of western Libya. The United Nations said it was the deadliest episode in the Mediterranean so far this year (New York Times)
Libya Sends Migrants to Bombed Detention Center
Libyan authorities said yesterday they sent thirty-eight migrants intercepted off Libya’s coast to a detention center east of Tripoli that was bombed earlier this month. The United Nations condemned the move and called for the facility to be closed immediately (Associated Press)
Libyan Airport Halts Air Traffic
After an air strike targeted Tripoli’s Mitiga airport, the airport suspended air traffic (Reuters)
Separately, Libya’s internationally recognized government foiled an attack by Khalifa Haftar near Tripoli and captured eleven Haftar-affiliated fighters (Anadolu Agency)
United Nations: Release Kidnapped Libyan Lawmaker
The United Nations demanded that Siham Sergewa, a critic of Khalifa Haftar, be released by the Libyan National Army (Reuters)
Six Countries Urge Libyan Cease-Fire
Yesterday, Egypt, France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint statement calling for a halt to fighting in Tripoli and for all parties to return to a UN-mediated peace process (U.S. Department of State)
Separately, a Libyan detention center that was bombed two weeks ago resumed operation, despite calls from the United Nations for its dismantlement (Associated Press)