Tripoli (dpa) - Forces loyal to Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar attacked the capital's only operational airport on Wednesday, a military spokesperson for the rival UN-backed government said.
The shelling violates a fragile, 10-day-old ceasefire, called by Russia and Turkey, which is supposed to be in effect in and around Tripoli, the target of a months-long campaign by Haftar's forces.
Both sides have traded accusations of breaches.
On Wednesday, six rockets struck Mitiga airport in central Tripoli, the spokesperson, Mohamed Gnounou, said in an online statement.
"This is a blatant threat to air navigation, and marks a new and repeated violation of the ceasefire," he added.
The attack forced a temporary halt to air traffic at Mitiga, said Mostafa al-Majai, another military spokesperson for the UN-backed government based in Tripoli.
As a result, flights have been diverted to Misrata airport, about 200 kilometres from Tripoli, al-Majai told dpa.
The attack caused no casualties or damage, he said.
A spokesperson for Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army, Ahmed al-Mesmari, said that its forces downed a Turkish drone after its take-off from the airport. He claimed that the plane was attempting to raid LNA military units in Tripoli.
A Turkish security official said that Haftar’s forces carried out 11 strikes against the Mitiga airport, causing no casualties or damage.
Haftar has persistently disregarded the ceasefire call of the world, the official said in a statement.
The alleged attack comes amid global efforts to turn the ceasefire agreement between Libya's warring sides into a durable cessation of hostilities.
On Sunday, international leaders gathered in Berlin and vowed to uphold a UN arms embargo and end military support for Libya's warring factions, an attempt to halt the country's long-running conflict.
At the Berlin conference, world powers also agreed to set up a so-called International Follow-Up Committee, which is scheduled to meet for the first time in the German capital in mid-February.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Gaddafi and has become a battleground for rival proxy forces.
The oil-rich country has two competing administrations: the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and the Haftar-allied government based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
In April, Haftar ordered his forces to seize Tripoli from the rival GNA.
The 76-year-old general has portrayed the offensive as part of an anti-terrorism campaign.
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