Turkish Chief of Staff Injured in Libya's LNA Airstrikes on Al-Watiya Airbase

It is reported that the Turkish Chief of the General Staff Yasar Guler was injured during the airstrike launched by the Libyan National Army (LNA) on Saturday night on Al-Watiya airbase west of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, which is controlled by the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces.

The GNA-affiliated deputy defense minister said that they will respond to recent overnight airstrikes on strategically important Al-Watiya airbase.

Writing on social media, Salah Al-Namroush said the response to the attacks would be given at the “right time and the right place.”

A military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Al-Watiya base was bombed yesterday by unknown warplanes, which targeted equipment inside the base, including an air defense system.

He noted that no casualties were reported during the attack, which is the first since the Libyan Army captured the airbase from Field Marshal the Libyan National Army (LNA)'s general commander Khalifa Haftar in May.

The Libyan government and army have yet to comment on the report.

In March, the Libyan government launched Operation Peace Storm to counter Haftar's attacks on Tripoli, and recently liberated strategic locations, including Al-Watiya airbase and the city Tarhuna, Haftar's final stronghold in western Libya.

Defiant to the international will, the Turkish Minister of Defense, recently, visited Tripoli, in which he talked about “Turkish sovereignty, return after the ancestral withdrawal, and stay forever.”

Turkish plans in Libya

The African Intelligence website, which specializes in intelligence and strategic affairs, revealed Turkey's intention to impose its candidate, Khaled Al-Sharif, to take over as head of intelligence in the Fayez Al-Sarraj government.

Ankara is pushing hard for the appointment of Al-Sharif, a leader in what is known as "the fighting group" close to Al Qaeda, as the intelligence chief.

Extremist groups are also trying to field candidates for the post, including special operations commander in Zintan, Emad Trabelsi, and Misurata businessman Mohamed Al-Issawi.