By Ajnadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 3 January 2015:
Heavy fighting was reported today south of Zawia between Zintani units loyal to the Libyan National . . .[restrict]Army (LNA) and Zawia forces part of Libya Dawn. According to a source at the Zintani Operations Room (ZOR), the fighting started this morning when Zawia fighters tried to move towards Wattiya airbase south of Al-Jmail.
The ZOR official told the Libya Herald that the fighting had started around 7am, ended around dusk and that heavy weaponry had been used by both sides, including tanks and grad missiles but not LNA jet fighters based at Wattiya. The Zawians had been forced to retreat, he claimed.
The absence of air strikes in the circumstances is currently taken to indicate a shortage of aviation fuel at Wattiya.
Last month, Al-Jmail and neigbouring Rigdaleen, previously supporting the House of Representatives, agreed to accept Libya Dawn control providing there was no fighting in the area and that forces from Zuwara, the two towns’ arch rival, were not allowed to enter them. [/restrict]
