Libyan National Army Shoots Down Sarraj Drone as Macron Seeks to Meet Haftar

The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced that it has shot down a drone flown by militias loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Fayez al-Sarraj.

LNA media said that the army’s air defenses had downed the aircraft on Monday. The drone was launched from Misrata.

Media reports speculated that the drone may have been manufactured by Turkey.

The LNA had recently accused Ankara of supplying drones to the pro-GNA militias in Tripoli.

The army had launched on April 4 an operation to liberate the capital from terrorist and criminal gangs.

LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari had previously said that both Turkey and Iran have been providing weapons and ammunition to the Sarraj militias in flagrant violation of the arms embargo that was imposed on Libya by the United Nation Security Council in wake of the ouster of ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in 2011.

Moreover, the LNA press office released photos of destruction of houses caused by GNA barrel bomb attacks in the Qasr bin Ghashir town in the Tripoli region.

Amid these developments, French Emmanuel Macron wants to meet LNA commander Khalifa Haftar to push a ceasefire and resume peace talks, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday.

Macron last week called for a ceasefire in the battle for Tripoli after meeting Sarraj.

On Monday, the LNA denied claims that it was seeking to withdraw from its positions in the operation on Tripoli.

“This is just a rumor that is being spread by the Muslim Brotherhood Tripoli out of fear that its residents may rise up against them after their fighters have become exhausted on the ground,” it said.

“The army will not retreat and the day of victory against the Brotherhood and their backers is near,” it stressed, calling on the people to rise up against them.