BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:40 P.M.) – The Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted a military commander in the Libyan National Army (LNA) on Wednesday that said his forces are preparing to storm the strategic city of Misrata as soon as possible.
According to the newspaper, the LNA commander said in a special statement that “there is a collapse in the ranks of the militias and their morale is zero.” He continued that the army’s entry into the city of Sirte is “like the second lightning operation of its kind.”
In his statement, the military official pointed out that “the militias coming from Misrata collapsed, and they fled towards its city, and the army is now advancing towards it (Misrata) amid clashes in western Sirte.”
The Libyan National Army spokesperson , Ahmed Al-Mismari, announced on the sixth of this month the control of the city of Sirte following a preemptive strike that was planned by their commander in the city of Benghazi.
Misrata is strategically located along the Libyan coast, but it is also a symbolic city because it was one of the first major cities that was captured by the anti-government forces during the 2011 war.
Since then, Misrata has become a stronghold for the Government of National Accord (GNA), as their militias have participated in several battles across Libya, including the ongoing fight for control of Tripoli.
