Egypt blames UAE for Haftar's latest defeats: Report

ANKARA

Egyptian authorities have accused the United Arab Emirates of being responsible for the latest defeats inflicted by the Libyan army on the militias of renegade general Khalifa Haftar, according to a Thursday report.

The London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed daily quoted Egyptian sources as saying that Cairo has been "very disappointed" by the UAE's "unilateral moves" in the Libyan crisis.

The sources went on to note that the differences between Cairo and Abu Dhabi had surfaced following the Libyan army's recapture of the strategic Al-Watiya airbase.

The sources added that Egypt feared that the Libyan government could ask Turkey to build a military base in the country in line with a cooperation agreement signed last year between the two sides.

Egypt, along with the UAE, France, Russia and Saudi Arabia are the main supporters for Haftar's militias.

However, the report said that Egypt asked the UAE to back efforts for a political exit from the current Libyan crisis.

Libya's army on Monday retook the Al-Watiya airbase occupied by Haftar's militias, a key facility now back under government control after some six years under putschist forces.

The move came after the Libyan army destroyed three Russian-made Pantsir type air defense systems used by Haftar’s forces that were supplied by the UAE.

Libya's government has been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.