Violent clashes raged Tuesday south of Tripoli, marking an uptick in fighting as the UN envoy for Libya warned of a "long and bloody war". Haftar, who is backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched a lightning assault on Tripoli with his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) on April 4. But forces backing the GNA have put up a fierce resistance and the LNA has been held back in Tripoli's southern suburbs. Haftar advanced from his stronghold of eastern Libya with an offensive on the south of the country earlier this year, before turning his forces towards the capital. His forces control Libya's most important oil fields, but the Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation manages production and revenues are chanelled through the central bank in the capital.

Source: Libya Today May 21, 2019 20:03 UTC