Heavy gunfire reported in Tripoli

Tripoli’s Mitiga airport was closed this morning due to heavy gunfire

File photo: Mitiga airport
File photo: Mitiga airport

Tripoli’s Mitiga airport was closed ‘’indefinitely’’ at dawn this morning due to heavy gunfire, including anti antiaircraft guns around the airport, but it reopened again at around 10am Libya time, the Libya Herald reports.

According to the digital newspaper, the airport was closed this morning for safety reasons due to the heavy gunfire near Mitiga airport. With rumouts

It will be recalled that Tripoli and Misrata airspace had been closed for six hours, from 8 am to 2 pm, yesterday by the de facto Tripoli authorities due to alleged “technical” reasons. With the rumoured arrival of prime minister-designate Faiez Serraj and the Government of National Accord (GNA), opposing militias within Tripoli took to the air with heavy gunfire.

“To add to the tension of the Tripoli-based militias, in Misrata, meanwhile, a number of militias made a televised statement saying that they recognized the GNA as the sole representatives of the Libyan state. They further announced that they had formed a Temporary Crises Room to enable the GNA to enter Tripoli,” the Libya Herald said.

“The heavy gunfire, including anti-aircraft guns, has continued into this morning, but one former Misratan militia member told Libya Herald that so far, it is no more than ‘muscle flexing as each militia marks its territory and sends out loud signals to opposing militias, warning them off and saying we are still here’. At the time of writing no militia injuries or deaths had been reported as a result of the heavy gunfire.”