The Libyan Presidential Council has condemned what it described the terrorist attack on the Military College in Al-Hadba in Tripoli by foreign aircraft backing up Khalifa Haftar, announcing three days of mourning and vowing to respond to this crime in the battlefield.
The House of Representatives in Tripoli also condemned the criminal attack and said it is a real massacre whose perpetrators must be held accountable for their crimes. It also called on the Government of National Accord (GNA) to take all needed measures to punish the criminals.
GNA doesn’t count on the US
GNA’s Defense Minister said what Haftar did to the Military College cadets won’t go unpunished, saying Haftar doesn’t know the language of wisdom but only dreams of bringing back dictatorship and totalitarian rule to Libya.
The Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha said: “We’re not waiting the US or any other country to help us defeat Haftar; only Qatar and Turkey have stood by us in this crisis”.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice said the crime against the Military College cadets by Haftar is a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law, adding that it is a crime on his long list of crimes to be lodged at local and international courts.
Emergency Security Council meeting
The Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Sayala has called for an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council after the airstrike on the Military College by Haftar’s warplanes and other crimes Haftar and his forces have committed, calling on the international community to send them to the International Criminal Court for trial.
Likewise, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned in the strongest terms the airstrikes on the Military College in Al-Hadba neighborhood in Tripoli, where 30 cadets were killed and over 33 others were injured.
UNSMIL said in a statement following the attack that growing escalation of military operations at this dangerous level threatens to complicate the status quo in the country and undermines the chances of resuming the political process.
Qatar and Turkey Condemn Airstrikes
Qatar has strongly condemned the airstrikes by Khalifa Haftar’s warplanes on the Military College (Academy) in Al-Hadba neighborhood in Tripoli.
In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said the airstrike could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has also condemned the attack and called on the international community to take the needed actions to halt Haftar’s airstrikes and end foreign support for his war in Libya, reiterating its support for the internationally recognized GNA.
