CAIRO — Clashes between rival Libyan forces for control of Tripoli escalated on Wednesday as militias allied with the U.N.-supported government based in the country's capital launched an offensive on a military base held by their rivals, officials said. The renewed fighting comes despite increased international pressure on both sides to halt the violence over concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus. Libya reported its first case of the virus on Tuesday. The fighting has been raging for nearly a year between military commander Khalifa Hifter's forces, allied with a rival government based in eastern Libya, and an array of militia loosely linked to Tripoli authorities in the west. Ossama Gowelii, who heads the so-called joint operation room of the Tripoli militias, said they attacked the al-Waitya airbase on the city's southern reaches, clashing with Hifter's forces who have been holding the base.

Source: International New York Times March 25, 2020 11:15 UTC