Forces loyal to Khalifa Hafter have seized control of Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, 400 km east of the capital Tripoli, the spokesman of the Libyan National Army, Ahmed Mesmari claimed on Monday evening.
The city of Sirte which was controlled by forces loyal to the Accord Government is located in the middle of Libya and was home to the late leader Gaddafi.
It was freed from the control of the Islamic State in 2016.
Mesmari told a press conference that Sirte has been purged of terrorism and has been “returned to the bosom of the nation after it was made into an incubating chamber for terrorist groups”.
Meanwhile, the Interior minister of the parallel government based in Benghazi, Ibrahim Bouchnaf has appointed Colonel Mami Amin Al-Torshani as head of security for Sirte, claiming the victory of the Libyan army in the city.
The minister instructed all officers and members of the Sirte Security Directorate to immediately join the effort of the army to defend the city from aggression and join in the struggle to wrest control of the rest of the country from the internationally backed government.
SS/as/APA