By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 16 August 2014:
Yesterday’s demonstrations seem to have given the anti House of Representatives (HoR) bloc of militias, . . .[restrict]attacking the pro HoR bloc of militias’ defensive positions within Tripoli, a renewed impetus overnight – as a rain of falling heavy artillery could be heard right across Tripoli.
It seems that the continued national and international calls for a ceasefire and dialogue persist on being ignored, including yesterday’s renewed call by the Europeans.
Reports of this morning’s fighting indicate that there is heavy artillery bombardment, including grad, howitzers and tanks, aimed at defending positions of the Transport Barracks halfway up Airport Road, a long term strategic target of the Misrata-led anti HoR militias – but so far doggedly defended by the Zintan-led pro HoR bloc of militias.
Today’s very early morning barrage, causing many of our homes to vibrate, commencing at about 4 am, was meant to act as cover for yet another attempted advance by the anti HoR militias on the pro HoR ground positions.
Early indications, however, still show no proof of any real advance on the ground by the anti HoR militias – despite the wild claims of having liberated the Transport Barracks and the International Airport yesterday live and dramatically on air during their Martyr Square demonstration.
There has also been reports of shelling in and around the airport, the Hay Al-Akwakh tower estate at the metal bridge end of Airport Road, and around Janzur and its borders of Njila.
There has also been fighting between the pro HoR militias against the Mobile National Force barracks and the Janzur Knights militia in and around Janzur and at the Weaving/Cloth factory and the Janzur Tourist Village.
Reports say that the pro HoR militias are initiating a pincer movement, and cutting off supplies, by moving in from Sirraj and the Akadamia University in the east, and from Barracks 27 from the west and from Njila in the south. The intensified firing at airport road is also believed to be an attempt by the anti HoR allies to create another front so as to alleviate the pressure on the encircled anti HoR militias in the Janzur area.
The other ally of the anti HoR bloc is Ghanaiwa Al-Kikly and his Bu Sleem based militia which is also believed to have tried to open up yet another battle front on the pro HoR militias to again relieve pressure on their encircled allies in Janzur. However, evidence seems to suggest that he has time and time again failed to advance up the airport road beyond the Hay Al-Akwakh tower estate at the metal bridge.
Ghanaiwa Al-Kikly and his Bu Sleem based militia also attempted this morning to sneak through a short cut side road from Salah Al-Deen to Airport Road and onto the Heir to the Throne Road (where the US embassy is located). However, reports say that they were forced back to their original positions.
Meanwhile, the pro HoR militias claim they are still in full control of all the Swani Road, 7 April Barracks (next to the Swani Road Church), Church Road (leading from Swani Road to Sirraj) Islamic Call Society College, Njila, Kremia, Samba Road (wholesale markets), Sirraj and all the Airport Road up to the metal bridge.
The pro HoR camp claim that the anti HoR camp have been unable to make gains on the ground and so, in frustration, are limited to heavy long range artillery that lands indiscriminately.
In the fog of war and claims and counter claims by both sides, it is very difficult to establish any facts. However, one fact that can be established by this newspaper is that until a few days ago, Swani Road, Sirraj, Njila, Samba Road and Kremia were all under the control of the Pro HoR camp. The roads were all barricaded with makeshift barriers and manned by pro HoR forces.
A relative of this writer drove through about 20 such barricades to his farm in Kremia a few days ago – with the aid of a friend of a pro HoR militiaman.
As someone famously said, the first victim of war is the truth, and with this in mind, it must be made clear that with the absence of any independent official sources of information either from the moribund Abdullah Thinni Caretaker government or the embryonic HoR, obtaining the facts on the progress of the fighting on the mobile battle grounds has been extremely challenging.
This has not been made any easier by the fact that the central authorities have lost control of their two main state owned and financed television stations, Al Wataniya and Al Rasmiya, to the anti HoR camp – at the very time that they needed to be in communication with the mass electorate that on 25 June had voted the HoR in.
With the two official TV stations providing just one side of the story, this has left the role of championing the HoR entirely in the hands of the under financed and personal agenda driven, privately owned TV stations of Al Assema, Al Dawlia and Libya Awalan.
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