The Ministry of Interior of the United Nations-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA) yesterday put its forces on maximum alert as forces loyal to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) close in on the capital, Tripoli.
“The Ministry of Interior raises the highest state of emergency and issues its orders to all security units to strongly resist any attempts to undermine the capital’s security and to take all security measures in this regard,” the ministry said in a statement issued on its Facebook page.
“The forces attacking Tripoli are not aware of the extent of the crime they are committing against the homeland and citizens,” the ministry added.
“We hold the attacking party fully responsible for the dire consequences of this attack. The international community must shoulder its moral and legal responsibility and clearly state its position on these serious breaches the attacking side has always been guilty of,” the ministry ended, in a reference to the LNA and its commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
His forces have moved west, taking control of a several towns.
UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres is in Tripoli and was supposed to be holding a news conference today, days before the expected launch of a conference bringing together rivals from across the political spectrum.