Al-Wefaq government forces took control of the towns and cities of the Libyan West, which retired Major General Khalifa Hifter lost field gains he had made over 14 months. While Emirati planes bombed the city of Tarhuna, the German Chancellor contacted the Prime Minister of the Accord Government, during which they affirmed the option of a political solution to the conflict.

Hifter lost his last strongholds in the Libyan West after the Al-Wefaq forces took control of the administrative borders of the capital, Tripoli, on Thursday and entered it today, Friday, to the city of Tarhuna.

Al-Wefaq regained all the areas captured by Haftar when he launched his military campaign against Tripoli 14 months ago.

The Tripoli battles lasted for more than a year, but the process of expelling Haftar from Tarhuna took only hours.

"Our heroic forces took control of the entire city of Tarhuna, and defeated the terrorist militia of Haftar," said Colonel Muhammad Qanunu, spokesman for the al-Wefaq government.

Al-Jazeera correspondents in Libya reported that large numbers of Al-Wefaq government forces entered the "southeast southeast of Tripoli" hostility without violent clashes, as Haftar's fighters quickly retreated outside the city towards Bani Walid and the Al-Jafra air base in central Libya.

Pictures broadcast by news agencies show that Al-Wefaq forces seized many heavy weapons and ammunition depots that were held by Haftar forces in the city of Tarhuna.

A combing operation
Al-Jazeera correspondent Nasser Shedeed said from Tarhuna that Al-Wefaq forces are conducting sweeping operations in the city, and that the military reinforcements are arriving at them.

Brigadier-General Salah Al-Namroush, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense in the Al-Wefaq government, said that Al-Wefaq forces were hunting Haftar fighters who had fled from Tarhuna from the south.

Al-Ahrar Libya channel quoted the media advisor in the Ministry of Health of the National Accord Government, Amin Al-Hashemi, confirming that about 100 bodies had been found in Tarhuna City Hospital.

Al-Hashemi said, "The bodies belong to civilians, and we are working with the Red Crescent branch of Misurata and forensic medicine to determine their identities and hand them over to their families."

Reuters news agency reported that the government of national reconciliation extended its control to most parts of northwestern Libya and recovered many of the gains made by Haftar since last year when he began crawling towards Tripoli.

Tarhuna is located in the hills southeast of Tripoli and was a forward base for the Haftar attack on the capital.

In clips and photos posted on the Internet, members of Al-Wefaq government forces inside the city appeared to exchange hugs, while others opened fire in the air.

For his part, the mayor of Bani Walid said that the protection force of the Libyan reconciliation government entered the city's airport.

"The Libyan government forces are moving quickly in an organized manner and using armed drones," a Turkish official said. "There may be a solution on the table, but Haftar's forces are losing territory by all accounts."

Turkey's support for the internationally recognized Al-Wefaq government has changed the balance of power on the ground in the face of Haftar's forces backed by Egypt, the Emirates, France and Russia, which launched a faltering attack since April 2019 to control the capital, Tripoli.

Turkish drones, in particular, had a prominent role in destroying the Russian air defense systems used by Haftar's forces.

On the other hand, the Al-Jazeera correspondent said that Emirati marchers belonging to Haftar forces bombed Al-Wefaq government forces in Tarhuna, southeast of Tripoli.

The UAE and Egypt are at the forefront of countries supporting Haftar, both politically and militarily.

The battle continues, and in
response to field developments, said Fayez al-Sarraj, President of the Presidential Council of the Libyan Accord Government, that "our battle continues, and we intend to extend state control over all of Libya's territory."

He added that he would not waive the application of justice and law to hold all those who committed crimes against the Libyans accountable.

In contact with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Al-Sarraj confirmed that there is no military solution to the crisis in his country, and that the political track is his government's choice for peace.

The contact dealt with developments in the military and political situation in Libya, according to a statement by the Libyan government.

"We are committed to national principles, and we have values ​​and principles in which we take our positions," Al-Sarraj said. "We affirmed that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis, because the political path that leads to peace has always been our choice."

He added that the Al-Wefaq government will not be absent from any serious dialogue with real partners who are really seeking to establish a modern, democratic, civil state.

He continued, "We did not find a real partner for peace or the political process ... There are those who offer political maneuvers and not initiatives, with the aim of finding a role for their people, so what moves them are personal interests and not the interest of the country."

During the call, Al-Sarraaj renewed his proposal to hold a meeting in coordination with the UN mission, in the presence of the components of the Libyan people who believed in a peaceful solution, provided that the forum would lead to presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.

In turn, Merkel confirmed her country's readiness to support the political track and implement the outputs of the Berlin Conference, to achieve security and stability in Libya.

It is noteworthy that the nineteenth of last January witnessed the holding of an international conference in Berlin on Libya, and the conference called for the commitment of all parties in this country to a ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table to search for a political solution to the conflict.