Kobler outraged over dozens of fatalities at Brak Al-Shati military base, GNA suspends defence minister
The UN delegate to Libya has voiced “outrage” at reports of “significant” fatalities in an attack by a group loyal to the Government of National Accord on a military base controlled by Operation Dignity forces.
Martin Kobler said in a statement on Friday that the dead included civilians, citing reports that “summary executions may have taken place”.
The Third Force of the Government of National Accord’s Defence Ministry announced earlier today capturing control of the Brak Al-Shati airbase in southern Libya. According to the statements of the Third Force’s commander, Mohammed Gliwan, the Third Force personnel seized the airbase after heavy fighting against Khalifa Haftar-led forces of Operation Dignity.
However, both the GNA and defence ministry condemned Thursday’s attack by the Third Force and said they had not ordered any such action, vowing to investigate and sanction those responsible, according to official statements.
As a reaction as well, the GNA said in a statement that it suspended Mahdi al-Barghathi, its defence minister and the commander of the Third Force, Jamal Al-Treiki, ordering an investigation to determine their roles in Thursday’s incident.
How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@libyanexpress.com. Please include ‘Op-Ed’ in the subject line.
- Lebanon warns Israel may be preparing wide-scale military operation - December 13, 2025
- Flooding puts hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans at risk, UN warns - December 13, 2025
- Tarhuna victims demand accountability as impunity persists - December 13, 2025