Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Hifter, said she was holding a ship flying the Grenada flag and being led by a Turkish crew yesterday, off the coast of Libya, amid increasing tension with Turkey, which supports the internationally recognized government of Tripoli.
"A ship carrying the flag of (Grenada) led by a crew consisting of Turks" was arrested during a "patrol in the Libyan regional waters off the coast of Derna" located 1300 km east of the capital Tripoli, to the "Naval Combat Company (Sousse)".
"The ship was towed to the Ras Al Hilal port to inspect, verify its cargo and take internationally recognized procedures in such cases," Al-Mismari added.
The port of Ras Hilal, located on the coast of the city of Derna, is under the control of Haftar forces in eastern Libya.
The military spokesman released a video clip showing the Coast Guard patrol personnel carrying light weapons, as well as the process of intercepting the ship and landing its three-person crew aboard their patrol boat, investigating them and verifying their own documents. He also published Turkish passports for three people.
Support and prepare
Turkey supports the Libyan government headed by Faiz al-Sarraj, whose forces have for months been battling an attack by Haftar's forces.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country may deploy its forces in Libya in support of the Tripoli government, but it has not yet received a request.
Earlier yesterday, the Turkish parliament approved a security and military cooperation agreement concluded with the Tripoli government last month, an agreement that paves the way for military support from Ankara.
On December 10 Erdogan stated that he was ready to send his soldiers to Libya in support of the Saraj government if the latter requested that.
It is noteworthy that Haftar's forces received special support from Egypt and the UAE, which are competing with Turkey regionally.
Libya has been experiencing violent confrontations since April 4, when Haftar's forces launched an offensive to seize Tripoli, the headquarters of the National Accord government.
The battles caused the death of more than two thousand fighters and at least two hundred civilians, while the number of displaced people reached 146 thousand people, according to the international special envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salameh.