LNA Says Turkish Battleship Strikes Area in Western Libya

A Turkish battleship has fired missiles on a region west of Libya, causing no casualties, the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by commander Khalifa Haftar announced.

This is a dangerous military escalation and an indication that the intervention of Turkish maritime forces hasn't stopped, LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said Wednesday.

In a terse statement, the Military Information Division revealed that for the second day in a row, the LNA carried out airstrikes on militia targets in Abugrein, east of Misrata.

The LNA also downed a Turkish drone in Misrata, the fourth in two days.

In a press conference he held on Tuesday, the spokesman stated that more than 500 mercenaries were killed in Tripoli last week. While the death toll of Misrata militias stood at more than 60.

Mismari added that LNA forces seized several key points on the border with Tunisia.

In another context, the High Council of State in Tripoli called on the Government of National Accord to demand an explanation from the European Union on the launch of a new naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea aimed at enforcing a UN arms embargo on Libya.

The Council is protesting what it said were the selective standards of the EU.

The Council, which isn’t internationally recognized but is loyal to the government, said the mission is biased to Haftar.

It added that the EU insists on only inspecting vessels on the high seas, raising doubts on the mission’s objectives.