First Independent Mena Newspaper
Tunisia Monday remembered the victims of the June 2015 attack in Sousse where a militant of the Islamic State (IS) group mowed down 38 people, putting the country’s onetime buzzing tourism further into jeopardy. Minister of tourism Selma Elloumi Rekik and British Foreign Office official Tobias Ellwood laid down flowers in remembrance of the 38 […]
Libya’s UN-backed Premier Sunday called for a unified military command of Libyan armed forces to ensure victory over the Islamic State (IS) group fighters still holding the coastal city of Sirte as unity government forces try to dislodge them. “We trust there can’t be any solution to overcome that organization (IS) apart from a unified […]
Militia forces aligned with the UN-sponsored Government of National Accord (GNA) Friday pushed back Islamic State (IS) group fighters who had tried to drive out loyal forces making progress into the coastal city of Sirte where the militant group has been reigning, reports say. The pro-GNA forces are still facing fierce opposition from IS fighters […]
The United Nations-sponsored Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) held Wednesday its first official cabinet meeting since it arrived in capital Tripoli late March. Prime Minister-designate Faiez Serraj chaired the meeting in his provisional offices located in a naval base. The meeting was attended by Serraj’s two deputies, Ahmed Maetig and Fathi Majbri, and 16 […]
Tuesday clashes between the Islamic State group militants and the militias loyal to the Government of National Accord in Sirte left 34 pro-GNA killed, forces operations-room told media. Tuesday confrontation was the bloodiest for GNA forces, which have been pushing into the coastal city to dislodge the jihadists who have seized Muammar Gaddafi’s home last […]
Members of the European Parliament have underscored the soundness of the Morocco-proposed initiative to grant large autonomy to the Sahara under the Kingdom’s sovereignty, deeming this initiative as the ”best acceptable compromise” for settling the conflict. Their remarks came in a letter they addressed to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs […]
President Ageela Saleh of the Tobruk-based House of Parliament (HoR) declared a state of emergency and the area from Tobruk to Ben Jawad as a military zone after the Benghazi Defense Brigades (BDB) warned those between Ajdabiya and Benghazi to refrain from getting involved in its planned assault on Benghazi. The BDB reportedly controls Ajdabiya […]
The UN Security Council Tuesday granted a go-ahead to the European Union Sophia naval operation to inspect vessels on high seas suspected of violating the arm embargo imposed on Libya since 2011. Libya has become a cross-road of illicit arm trade which UN and EU diplomats say fans regional conflicts and strengthens terrorists and gangs […]
The UN Security Council Monday extended the mandate of the UN support mission in Libya, UNSMIL, for six months, and entrusted it with new prerogatives including assistance in securing uncontrolled arms and related material and countering its proliferation. The UNSMIL is also tasked to provide support to key Libyan institutions and provide support, on request, […]
Islamic State fighters Sunday staged three car-bomb attacks against Government of National Accord-linked forces in a bid to halt the impressive advance of militia forces in the city of Sirte controlled by the terrorist group since 2014 and used as the terrorist nerve center in North Africa. The attacks, which involved one ambulance, killed at […]