The Libyan National Army (LNA) Marshal Khalifa Haftar was shot down by an Italian drone in the west of the country, according to a statement by spokesman for the LNA Ahmad al-Mismari.
According to al-Mismari, the Italian drone was shot down by the air defense forces of the LNA. He emphasized that the high command of the LNA expects from Italy an official explanation of the reason why the drone ended up in Libyan airspace.
On April 4, LNA commander Khalifa Haftar ordered his forces to launch an offensive on Tripoli to “liberate themselves from terrorists.” Armed forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (PNC) in Tripoli have announced the start of the response operation “Volcano of Wrath”. As a result of the fighting in Tripoli, according to the WHO, more than 1 thousand people died, more than 5.5 thousand were injured.
After the overthrow and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya virtually ceased to function as a single state. Dual power reigns in the country now. The parliament elected by the people sits in the east, and in the west, in the capital Tripoli, the Government of National Accord, led by Fayez Sarraj, rules with the support of the UN and the European Union. The authorities of the eastern part of the country operate independently of Tripoli and cooperate with the Libyan National Army.