Egypt, UAE involved in Tripoli airstrikes: Libyan Islamists

Tripoli, Aug 24: Libya's Islamist militant groups Saturday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt of behind the recent airstrikes on their bases in Tripoli.

A spokesperson for the Islamist coalition forces Libya Dawn said their intelligence information showed that the UAE and Egypt were involved in the recent air raids against them. He also accused the current Libyan government and parliament as the designer of the airstrikes and asked them to stop the "cowardly" aggression, Xinhua reported.

The armed Islamist groups have been under sporadic airstrikes during the past week, but identities of the warplanes are still not verified. On Saturday alone, 11 Islamist militants were killed and another 20 injured after several fighter jets bombed their bases.

Earlier renegade General Khalifa Haftar, who launched his so-called anti-terrorism military campaign Operation Dignity in May targeting Islamist militants and led his troops constantly pounding the Islamist forces, claimed responsibility for the airstrikes.

But Libya's air staff later said in a statement Monday that it had received evidence showing that the airstrikes were launched by foreign warplanes, adding that guided and smart bombs were used which the local warplanes were incapable of.

Some analysts said the airstrikes have added complicity of the conflict and made the clashes even bloodier.

Since mid-July clashes between armed Islamist groups and pro-secular militias have left at least 102 people dead and 452 others wounded in Tripoli alone.

IANS