Pro-Haftar mercenaries leaving Libya

Conflicts 16:16 26.05.2020

Hundreds of Russian mercenaries fighting for Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar against the internationally recognized government were evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli, according to various reports. EDNews.net reports citing Hurriyet Daily.

The reports come after a series of setbacks for Haftar’s year-long offensive to seize the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).

“An Antonov 32 military cargo plane landed at Bani Walid airport to resume the evacuation of Wagner [Group] mercenaries who had fled southern Tripoli, to an as-yet unconfirmed destination,” pro-GNA forces wrote on Twitter, according to Agence France -Press.
Salem Alaywan, the mayor of the town of Bani Walid told a local television channel that three planes took off with Wagner elements, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported.

Last month, in a report sent to the Security Council, United Nations experts corroborated U.S media reports that the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian paramilitary organization seen as close to President Vladimir Putin, had sent fighters to back Haftar.

The Kremlin has always denied involvement.

At a U.N. Security Council videoconference earlier this month, Britain and the United States urged Russia to stop sending mercenaries to Libya.

“Wagner Group activities continue to exacerbate the conflict and prolong the suffering of the Libyan people,” said British ambassador Jonathan Allen at that video meeting.

American ambassador Kelly Craft said that “all actors involved in the conflict in Libya must immediately suspend military operations.”
Their Russian counterpart, Vasily Nebenzia, dismissed the claims as “speculation.”

Pro-GNA forces, with growing support from Turkey, have chalked up a series of victories in recent weeks largely thanks to their air superiority.

They said on May 23 they had seized three barracks south of the capital, days after Haftar’s forces announced their fighters would pull back from some positions south of Tripoli.

Turkey has acknowledged sending military advisers unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to support the GNA in Libya.
In January, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said more than 2,000 Wagner mercenaries, fşnanced by the United Araba Emirates, were fighting in Libya.

Pro-GNA forces said on May 25 some “1,500 to 1,600 mercenaries” had fled from the frontlines in Tripoli to Bani Walid, around 145 kilometers southeast of the capital.

They said the previous day seven cargo planes had landed at the town’s airport, bringing in munitions and weaponry and evacuating the fleeing fighters.

A video broadcast on the Tripoli-based Libya al-Ahrar television channel showed armed men boarding an Antonov 23-type military cargo plane.

A Russian-made Pantsir air defense missile system could be seen in the background.

Haftar’s forces, who control much of eastern and southern Libya, have suffered a series of setbacks since April when GNA fighters ousted them from two strategic coastal cities.

Oil-rich Libya plunged into conflict after the ouster and killing of veteran dictator Muammar Gadhafi in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, with rival administrations and militias vying for power.

The conflict worsened when Haftar’s forces launched their offensive on Tripoli last April.

But despite early successes for Haftar, the battle for the capital, which has left hundreds dead, including dozens of civilians, and displaced more than 200,000 people, quickly stalled on its outskirts.

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

WB allocates $2M for preparation of sustainable development project in Baku
22:00 02.07.2025
Malaysia inviting Azerbaijan to participate in trade incentive program
21:45 02.07.2025
Malaysia expects further expansion of palm oil trade with Azerbaijan
21:30 02.07.2025
EBRD updates current portfolio of projects in Azerbaijan
21:30 02.07.2025
12 Georgian MPs lose parliamentary mandates
21:00 02.07.2025
Asan Jakishev: Kazakhstan strengthens status as key transit hub in region
20:40 02.07.2025
Zakharova: 'We call on Baku to take measures to return ties to level of strategic alliance'
20:30 02.07.2025
Kyrgyz ambassador to Azerbaijan also appointed as envoy to Georgia
20:20 02.07.2025
Bangladesh court sentences ex-Premier Hasina in contempt case; first conviction since ouster
20:00 02.07.2025
Russia says reduction or cessation of Western arms supplies to Ukraine brings conflict closer to its end
19:45 02.07.2025
Israeli prosecution cancels Netanyahu’s corruption trial sessions next week over US visit
19:30 02.07.2025
Mamasadyk Bakirov: Kyrgyzstan creates all necessary conditions for business
19:15 02.07.2025
Lachin holds panel session on Role of Women in Urban Development
19:00 02.07.2025
Central banks of Azerbaijan, Georgia mull implementation of systems supported by AI
18:45 02.07.2025
Azerbaijani military personnel participate in International Anatolian Eagle-2025
18:30 02.07.2025
Shavkat Mirziyoyev to open Uzbekistan park in Baku
18:15 02.07.2025
Peskov: Head of Russia's Investigative Committee, Azerbaijan's prosecutor general mull problematic issues
18:00 02.07.2025
South Korean ex-premier, minister summoned over Yoon’s martial law probe
17:45 02.07.2025
Trump says Israel has agreed to 'necessary conditions' to finalize 60-day ceasefire in Gaza
17:30 02.07.2025
DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal ‘does not address serious crimes committed in the east': Amnesty International
17:15 02.07.2025
China again urges its citizens to avoid travel to Iran
17:00 02.07.2025
Australia's Qantas says 6 million customer accounts accessed in cyber hack
16:45 02.07.2025
US accuses UN expert of ‘economic warfare’ over report on companies aiding Israeli occupation
16:30 02.07.2025
150 National Guard troops reassigned from Los Angeles security mission to wildfire response
16:00 02.07.2025
Israeli strikes kill another 29 Palestinians in Gaza Strip
15:45 02.07.2025
Revenue of China’s software industry grows by 11.2%
15:30 02.07.2025
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s one-on-one meeting with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev begins
15:20 02.07.2025
Zakharova: Friendly relations between Russia, Azerbaijan extremely important
15:15 02.07.2025
President of Northern Cyprus arrives in Azerbaijan
15:00 02.07.2025
COP29 president: US withdrawal from Paris agreement won't stop global climate movement
14:45 02.07.2025
President of Uzbekistan arrives in Azerbaijan on state visit
14:30 02.07.2025
Saudi Arabia receives written message from Iran
14:15 02.07.2025
Percentage of female students studying in Azerbaijan revealed
14:00 02.07.2025
Five of Russia's neighbors withdraw from Ottawa Treaty
13:45 02.07.2025
Bahar Muradova: Azerbaijan ready to share experience in expanding women's economic rights
13:30 02.07.2025
Prosecutor General's Office: Ziyaddin Safarov died in vehicle of Russian law enforcement agencies
13:15 02.07.2025
Adviser to Uzbek FM: Relations with Azerbaijan demonstrating steady growth in all areas
13:00 02.07.2025
ECO: Significant steps should be taken to increase women's digital skills
12:45 02.07.2025
Some Russian groups want to create crisis in relations with Azerbaijan
12:30 02.07.2025
Israel-Iran ceasefire set to drive oil prices toward $60 range: Experts
12:15 02.07.2025
Hamısı