UPDATE 2- Pro-Haftar forces target S. Libya's capital

ADDS LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, CHANGES HEADLINE AND SPOT</p> <p>By Walid Abdullah</p> <p>TRIPOLI (AA) – Fierce clashes erupted in Libya’s Ain Zara area in the south of capital Tripoli between forces loyal to Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and those loyal to Khalifa Haftar, who commands forces based in the country’s east, according to eyewitnesses.</p> <p>Described as the fiercest since the clashes began, the recent clashes, erupted Tuesday evening when, the internationally-recognized, GNA forces attempted to recapture from Haftar forces some sites it lost along the last two days.</p> <p>The clashes have witnessed using all sorts of weapons and erupted in a residential area, the witnesses said.</p> <p>Many of the families based in the Ain Zara area could not leave their houses due to the fierce military clashes, according to the witnesses, who added that, the Haftar-led forces have captured some streets in the area.</p> <p> The number od casualties over the clashes have not been announced yet.</p> <p>For its part, the Haftar forces announced they have advanced in the neighborhoods of Ain Zara, announcing their control over the Al-Fitra Street and the headquarters of the 42nd Battalion affiliated with the GNA.</p> <p>Earlier clashes between forces loyal to Libya’s Tripoli-based GNA and those loyal to Haftar, who commands forces loyal to a rival government based in the country’s east, continued Tuesday, according to local sources.</p> <p>“GNA warplanes are now targeting pro-Haftar forces deployed in Tripoli’s southern Sog al-Khmies district,” a local military source told Anadolu Agency.</p> <p>“The air raids, however, have failed to cause damage due to the use by pro-Haftar forces of anti-aircraft batteries,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.</p> <p>According to local media reports, GNA forces are also targeting Haftar’s supply lines linking Tripoli to the city of Ghariyan (located roughly 100 kilometers south of the capital), which pro-Haftar forces are reportedly using as a forward base. </p> <p>Earlier Tuesday, warplanes affiliated with Haftar’s forces struck Tripoli’s international airport without causing casualties, local witnesses said. </p> <p>Late last week, Haftar announced the launch of an ambitious campaign to capture Tripoli, where the GNA is headquartered.</p> <p>By Monday, however, the campaign appeared to have lost momentum, with pro-GNA forces recapturing two military bases near the capital after they were briefly seized by Haftar’s forces.</p> <p>The two sides have also continued to trade blows over three strategic airports near Tripoli.</p> <p>Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of President Muammar Gaddafi after four decades in power. </p> <p>Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, with which Haftar is associated, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN support.