Haftar's Forces Claim Responsibility For Airstrikes On Turkish Positions At Al-Watiya Airbase

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On June 5^th, Turkish and Government of National Accord (GNA) targets at al-Watiya airbase were struck.

Reportedly, the LNA struck the targets.

The Director of the Moral Guidance Department in the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khaled Mahjoub said that as a result of the strikes, approximately 80% of the positions that were targeted were destroyed.

According to him, 9 locations were struck, and 80% of the targets therein were destroyed.

He also vowed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “military adventure in Libya” would fail.

مدير إدارة التوجيه المعنوي في الجيش الوطني الليبي العميد خالد المحجوب لسكاي نيوز عربية: لا يمكن لأردوغان أن يكسب من المغامرة العسكرية في ليبيا

— سكاي نيوز عربية-عاجل (@SkyNewsArabia_B) July 5, 2020

مدير إدارة التوجيه المعنوي في الجيش الوطني الليبي لسكاي نيوز عربية: تم ضرب 9 مواقع في قاعدة الوطية مما أدى إلى تدمير نحو 80 في المئة من الأهداف

— سكاي نيوز عربية-عاجل (@SkyNewsArabia_B) July 5, 2020

Mahjoub also claimed that “important commanders” of the Turkish Army were also killed in the strikes.

مدير إدارة التوجيه المعنوي في الجيش الوطني الليبي لسكاي نيوز عربية: من بين القتلى في استهداف قاعدة الوطية أحد القادة المهمين في الجيش التركي

— سكاي نيوز عربية-عاجل (@SkyNewsArabia_B) July 5, 2020

The official version from the Turkish and GNA side is that “unknown warplanes” targeted al-Watiya, but there was no loss of life. The strikes reportedly targeted recently installed systems, such as an air defense system.

Libye : La Turquie confirme : "Des avions non identifiés ont bombardé la base aérienne d'Al-Wattia
L'attaque "n'a pas fait de victimes, mais a plutôt visé certains équipements", selon une source de l'armée, alors qu'il n'y aurait pas de commentaire officiel immédiat. pic.twitter.com/CNB09OrNfI

— Rebecca Rambar (@RebeccaRambar) July 5, 2020

Libya ordusu askeri kaynakları:

Kimliği belirsiz savaş uçakları Watya hava üssünü vurdu. Saldırı sırasında kayıp yaşanmadı. Saldırı, bir hava savunma sistemi de dahil olmak üzere yakın zamanda üssü güçlendirmek için getirilen bazı sistemleri hedef aldı.

— Cpt. Morst🇹🇷 (@CptMorst) July 5, 2020

Following the airstrikes, the GNA said that it would respond at the “right place and at the right time.”

#Libya's UN-recognised government condemns air raids on the Al Watiya air base saying it will respond in "right place and at the right time".pic.twitter.com/PwrtBoJuHQ

— Sara Firth (@Sara__Firth) July 6, 2020

Satellites imagery purportedly show that 3 radar stations and a MIM-23 Hawk air defense system were destroyed.

صور.. طيران مجهول يدمر أهدافا عسكرية تركية فى #قاعده_الوطيه .. مقاتلات حربية تنفذ تسع ضربات ضد تمركزات الأتراك غرب #طرابلس.. وتتمكن من تدمير 3 رادارات بالكامل وتحييد منظومة دفاع جوى من طراز هوك#تركيا #ليبيا
للتفاصيل..https://t.co/MuMmZ3MtAb pic.twitter.com/mdRezwNPo4

— اليوم السابع (@youm7) July 5, 2020

There’s also a video allegedly showing some of the strikes.