France denies military operations in Libya amid Haftar assault

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – The French Embassy in Libya on Saturday denied media reports about participation in military operations in Libya.

The denial came one day after forces of East Libya-based warlord Khalifa Haftar launched a military offensive near the border with Chad.

“The French Embassy in Libya denies the false information circulated by some media outlets and social media networks about France’s involvement in military operations in Libya,” it said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

On Friday, Haftar’s forces launched a military operation against “foreign armed groups” near Libya’s border with Chad.

In a statement, Haftar’s spokesman Ahmad Mismari said his forces carried out airstrikes against positions of Chadian rebel groups inside Libyan territory.

No information was yet available about casualties.

The spokesman vowed that his forces would “no longer allow armed groups or factions to use Libyan territory to launch attacks against neighboring countries.”

Haftar’s assault came after clashes in recent days between Chadian forces and opposition armed groups based along the Chadian-Libyan border.

Libya has been torn by civil war and instability since the ouster of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.