WASHINGTON, May 18. /TASS/. The Libyan National Army (LNA) which currently controls southern and eastern Libya is conducting what officers describe as its biggest military exercise yet -- one which sends a message to both friends and foes, the American portal Al-Monitor reported, citing LNA spokesman General Abdallah Noureddine.
The portal notes that over 25,000 troops are participating in the exercises under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar. On May 19, Haftar and his sons intend to attend the exercise, accompanied by foreign military observers. General Noureddine emphasized that the exercise is intended to demonstrate to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord the true balance of power within Libya. In April, the United States conducted the Flintlock 2026 special operations exercise in Libya, which involved the armed forces of both rival Libyan governments.
Since the overthrow and assassination of the country’s leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya ceased to function as a unified state. For the past several years, there has been a standoff between the authorities in Tripoli in the west of the country and the authorities in the east, supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA). In 2021, the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva elected a transitional executive authority pending general elections, which have not yet been held. There are currently two governments in Libya. The first, supported by the UN and led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, is based in Tripoli. The second, led by Osama Hammad, was initially based in Benghazi and later moved to Sirte.