3 killed in western Libya airstrikes

Three members of the Dawn of Libya militia were killed on Sunday, while others injured in airstrikes by forces loyal to retired army general Khalifa Haftar near Libya’s border with Tunisia, a military source said.

“A Haftar airplane struck two sites of the Dawn of Libya militia around 20km away from Libya’s border with Tunisia,” the source told The Anadolu Agency.

He said clashes had been going on in western Libya between Haftar’s troops and the Islamist militia for several days now.

Haftar’s command could not be reached for immediate comment.

Clashes first erupted between the two warring rivals in mid-October, but shortly afterward, Libya’s internationally-recognized House of Representatives declared its support for Haftar’s operation against militias.

Libya has been dogged by political instability since the 2011 ouster and death of long-ruling strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

Ever since, rival militias have frequently locked horns, often bringing violence to the country’s main cities, including the capital Tripoli.