UN-backed gov't condemns foreign airstrike in Libya

ISTANBUL

The Presidential Council of Libya’s UN-backed government condemned Friday an airstrike by foreign forces supporting commander Khalifa Haftar.

On Thursday, the Government of National Accord (GNA) announced that an airstrike by foreign forces targeted the western city of Misrata, leaving dozens of civilians injured.

In a statement, the council said: "Extending the circle of aggression to include Misrata is a sign of weakness and that expresses despair and confusion."

The attack came in response to "the inability of the aggressor militia to achieve any progress on the ground", and the failure of what Haftar called "the hour of decisiveness" to storm the capital Tripoli, the statement asserted.

The council did not elaborate on the nationality of the foreign airstrike.

Early April, forces loyal to Haftar launched a campaign to capture Tripoli from forces aligned with the GNA.

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a bloody NATO-backed uprising after four decades in power.

The oil-rich country has since seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is affiliated, and the Tripoli-based GNA, which enjoys UN recognition.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara