East Libyan forces deploy warplanes to hit Tripoli govt positions – reports

Forces from eastern Libya, bogged down in street battles in a push to seize the capital Tripoli, deployed warplanes on Friday to hit two government positions, Reuters reported. The Libyan National Army (LNA) force of Khalifa Haftar advanced on the coastal city of about 1.2 million people a week ago. Armed groups loyal to PM Fayez al-Serraj’s internationally-recognized government have so far kept them at bay, with fierce fighting near a disused airport about 11km (7 miles) from the center. On Friday, an LNA warplane bombed the camp of a force allied to Serraj in Zuwara, west of Tripoli towards the Tunisian border, according to an LNA military source and residents. Zuwara is near the Mellitah oil and gas plant, jointly operated by Italy’s ENI and state oil firm NOC.