Libya War News Updates -- December 23, 2019

SCMP: Libya conflict: Russian mercenaries from the shadowy Wagner Group are spearheading the battle for capital Tripoli

Libya has been divided since 2014 into rival military and political camps based in the capital Tripoli and the east
The Russian mercenaries are fighting for Khalifa Hifter’s forces against the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA)

The security chief of Libya’s UN-backed government in Tripoli said Russian mercenaries backing eastern commander Khalifa Hifter are now spearheading a battle to capture the capital.

Fathi Bashagha, the interior minister for the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), said fighters with the Russian Wagner group, headed by a confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin, are leading the battle on the frontlines in Tripoli’s outskirts, which has been accompanied by heavy shelling.

Western officials say more than 1,000 Wagner mercenaries have arrived since September to back Hifter’s National Army in his nine-month offensive to capture Tripoli.

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Libya War News Updates -- December 23, 2019

Libya Security Chief Says Russians Spearhead Tripoli Battle -- Bloomberg
EU urges Libya's warring factions to 'cease all military actions' -- DW
State Department 'concerned' about situation in Libya as conflict escalates -- The Hill
Erdogan says Turkey will increase military support to Libya if necessary -- Reuters
Erdogan: Turkey will increase military support to GNA if needed -- Al Jazeera
In Libya, cheap, powerful drones kill civilians and increasingly fuel the war -- The Washington Post
Eastern Libyan Force Warns Against Transporting Military Equipment in Civilian Planes -- The New York Times

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