Eid in Libya .. Truce in Tripoli and the killing of two nations in Benghazi

Forces retired Major General Khalifa Hifter agreed to a humanitarian truce in the Tripoli area, which was called by the United Nations Mission in Libya on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, and approved by the terms of the Libyan government of reconciliation, at a time when three UNMIS staff were killed by a car bomb in Benghazi .

"In recognition of the occasion of this occasion in our hearts, and the commitment of the noble teachings of Islam, and to enable our citizens to celebrate this holiday in quiet conditions, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (Hifter) announces a halt to all operations," Hifter forces spokesman Major General Ahmed al-Mesmari told a press conference in Benghazi. The army is fighting in the outskirts of Tripoli.

On the date of entry into force of the truce, Al-Mesmari explained that it starts from three in the afternoon Saturday, and until Monday at three in the afternoon.

He warned that "the response of the armed forces will be immediate and harsh on all fronts, against any operations or movements of any party of any kind that violate the truce, or those that pose a threat to our forces."

Conditional truce
The Libyan government of al-Wefaq published a statement on Friday night in which it declared, "In the interest of alleviating the suffering of the citizens ... and in response to the UN mission's request, we declare acceptance of a specific humanitarian truce during the days of Eid al-Duha.

But the government linked its acceptance of the truce with the approval of Hifter forces on four "controls" include: "The truce includes all areas of clashes", and "no-fly and reconnaissance flights in all skies and all air bases from which to proceed."

It also stipulated that "the truce should not be used to move any convoys or to mobilize," as well as "the UN mission to ensure the implementation of the agreement and monitor any violations."

Hifter's agreement to the truce came hours after the UN mission expressed regret that it had not received the truce.

The fighting since it erupted more than four months ago has killed about 1093 people dead and 5762 injured, including civilians, while the number of displaced people approached 120 thousand people, according to UN agencies.

Hifter's forces failed to control Tripoli, and the Wefaq government forces succeeded in repelling Hifter's offensive and halting its advance on the southern outskirts of the capital.

Bombing in Benghazi
The Security Council held an emergency session to discuss the situation in Libya, at the invitation of France and Russia, after the killing of UN staff in a bombing in Benghazi.

Pinto Keita, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, described the Benghazi bombing as a terrible one, saying it took place in an area supposedly under full security control by the forces of retired Libyan general Khalifa Hifter.

Three UN staff were killed and two others and eight civilians were wounded in a car bomb explosion in the Hawari area (west of Benghazi, eastern Libya), which targeted a UN mission convoy in the city.

The UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salameh, described the Benghazi bombing as a "cowardly" bombing reminding Libyans of their urgent need to stop fighting among themselves, adding that the bombing would not deter them from seeking peace in Libya.

The Reuters news agency said it had seen a list of the names of two dead employees, security sources in the city, one of them from the state of Fiji and the other Libyan, and the Associated Press quoted a similar confirmation from medical sources in the city.

The car bomb exploded outside the Arkan Mall complex, which is located near the UNSMIL office in Benghazi.

The United Nations confirmed the killing of staff in the bombing in the Hawari region, and condemned the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres attack.

Pictures circulated on social media showed burning cars and a glass broken by the bombing.