Libya .. Wagner mercenaries withdraw from Bani Walid and Washington warns of Russian interference

Most of the Russian mercenaries who were fighting with the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar withdrew towards central Libya through the city of Bani Walid, while forces of the Al-Wefaq government continued to advance south of Tripoli. On the other hand, Washington accused Moscow of supplying Haftar with warplanes in an attempt to repeat the Syrian scenario, while a Russian parliamentary official denied sending troops to Libya.

The mayor of Bani Walid Salem Noir said - in statements to Libyan television channels - that more than 90% of the elements of the Russian security company Wagner left the city, located 180 km southeast of Tripoli, in a huge convoy with a length of seven kilometers to the south.

Noir explained that Bani Walid had become almost free of Russian mercenaries, noting that their departure came after a problematic event in the airport south of the city and because of pressure from the people, and activists reported that one of the residents was killed by Russian gunmen after he opened fire on them at the airport.

In previous statements to the island, the mayor of Bani Walid estimated the number of Wagner mercenaries who arrived at the city at about 1,600 individuals.

The "Barkan Al-Ghazib" operation of the Al-Wefaq government stated that an armed convoy of Wagner Company with Russian fighters withdrew from the city of Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli, to the south of Libya, where they are reported to have gone to the city of Jufra (600 kilometers southeast of Tripoli), where there is a base To Haftar's forces.

She pointed out that the withdrawals accompanied four Russian air defense systems of the "Pantzer" model, indicating that their movement came after setting a deadline for them to withdraw from the cities of Tarhuna, Bani Walid and Nesma towards the south.

Field Progress
The Al-Wefaq government forces confirmed their control yesterday of new locations in the fighting hubs south of Tripoli, which puts additional pressure on Haftar forces, which are in a difficult situation after the withdrawal of the Russian mercenaries.

She said that she is now controlling about 95% of the Ain Zara suburb, and has also made progress in the Charisma axis, which overlooks the old airport and the Qasr Bin Ghashir area, which is on the road towards Tarhuna (80 km southeast of the capital).

Al-Wefaq forces confirmed that they had captured 15 Haftar gunmen yesterday, and activists said that one of the prisoners holds Chadian citizenship.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Nasser Shadid said that the internationally recognized government forces are currently working to remove large numbers of mines laid by Haftar forces in areas they withdrew from south of Tripoli.

Russian intervention
The United States warned yesterday of the repetition of Syria's experience in Libya, after the US military command in Africa (AFRICOM) revealed that Russia had deployed 14 military aircraft in Libya in support of Haftar.

The State Department said that the destabilizing Russian activities in Libya are clearly visible, and that the international community and the Libyan people will not believe Russia's claim that its mercenaries have nothing to do with its agenda in Libya.

She added that the United States will work with the Government of National Accord and all parties ready to lay down arms and negotiate a political solution.

The US military command in Africa had documented in pictures that Russia recently deployed warplanes in Libya after repainting them for the purpose of camouflage, to support Wagner's mercenaries.

For his part, AFRICOM Commander General Stephen Townsend said that Russia is seeking to turn the balance in favor of it in Libya, as it did in Syria.

On the other hand, Vladimir Dzabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of the Russian Federation, denied today that his country had sent soldiers to Libya, or that the Federation Council had received a request to agree to send troops there.

Before that, Andrei Krasov, deputy head of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, described the US accusations as fabricated, misleading, and naked.

Also in Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed, during a call with Aqila Saleh, the Speaker of the House of Representatives held in eastern Libya, the necessity of launching a Libyan dialogue with the participation of all active political forces to stop the military escalation.