By Osama bin Hamel
TRIPOLI
The Libya Shield militia, serving under the Libyan army, said Saturday that its troops managed to gain control of Tripoli airport as part of its 'Dawn of Libya' operation.
"Our Dawn of Libya forces are in full control of the airport and are currently combing its vicinity," Libya Shield spokesman Ahmed Hedeya told Anadolu Agency.
"Our forces also managed to capture the strategic, nearby Naqliah camp hours ago," he added.
A local satellite channel close to the militia has aired a video showing Libya Shield forces inside Naqliah camp. Photos of militiamen affiliated with Libya Shield near planes in Tripoli airport were also widely circulated on local social media pages.
The Libyan authorities are yet to comment on the developments.
Last month, the Libya Shield, which is widely seen as a pro-Islamist militia, launched the Dawn of Libya operation with the stated aim of restoring government buildings and palaces of the former Muammar Gaddafi regime from militiamen who had occupied these sites for months.
Since mid-July, the rival militias of Libya Shield on one hand and Al-Qaaqaa and Al-Sawaaq on the other have been locking horns in and around Tripoli, almost totally destroying the airport – along with several planes – and wreaking havoc in the flashpoint city.
The fighting left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
Libya in general has recently witnessed heavy fighting between a loosely organized army and militias that clung to their weapons following a bloody uprising in 2011 that ended the Gaddafi rule.
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