Drone strikes attacked an airbase in eastern Libya used by mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary outfit Wagner early Friday, according to a military officer.
The source of the nocturnal attacks on the Al-Kharruba airbase, located approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Benghazi, was “unknown,” according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to the official, the base was attacked “where members of the Wagner group are located,” and there were “no victims.”
According to reports on Libyan and Arab news websites, the strikes were fired from planes belonging to the UN-recognized government in split Libya.
However, the Government of National Unity, based in Tripoli, denied any involvement.
“We are surprised by the reports,” the defence ministry said, according to Libya’s Al-Massar television.
“We respect the ceasefire signed in October 2020,” it added.
The ministry was referring to a truce reached with eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar, which effectively ended his failed 2019-2020 assault on the city. The Wagner group, along with fighters from Chad, Sudan, Niger, and Syria, aided Haftar in the battle for Tripoli.
Wagner mercenaries are still active in oil-rich eastern Libya and the country’s south, while some have fled to fight in Mali or Ukraine in support of Russia’s incursion.
General Mohamad al-Haddad, chief of staff of the Libyan army, likewise denied any involvement in the strikes.
