Libyan Haftar Forces Intercept Turkish Freighter

Troops of East Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar have seized a Turkish freighter in Libyan waters.

 

The Mabrouka, flying the Jamaican flag, was en route to the port of Misrata in the west of the country, the Libyan National Army (LNA) of “Field Marshal” Haftar reports.

The Mabrouka was towed to the port of Ras al-Helal with 17 crew members, including nine Turkish civilians. It is investigated whether the ship has broken the rules.

Turkey, together with Qatar, supports the internationally recognized government in the capital Tripoli, which has been fighting the LNA for years.

That army is supported by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Libya has been in chaos since the death of ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since then, a power vacuum has developed in the North African state.