Libya’s Sarraj appoints new military chief of staff

The Presidency Council (PC) has finally appointed a chief of staff to head the Libyan army. As expected, the post has gone to Major-General Abdulrahman Al-Tawil. Appointed head of the Temporary Security Committee in January last year, he has in effect been chief of staff ever since.

There is, however, no coherent, structured or united Libyan army or airforce as yet for him to head.  The Libyan navy is the only section of the armed forces that can be said to be operating under the PC’s command.

It is also not clear if his remit will include control over the Presidential Guard which is being formed under the leadership of Colonel Najmi Al-Nakua. It is thought that while Tawil and the armed force come under the defence ministry, the presidential guard will be answerable directly to the Presidency Council – specifically its head, Faiez Serraj.

On the other hand, Units of the Libyan National Army (LNA) clashed yesterday with an armed group some 90 kilometres east of Sirte, near Harawa. Air force jets were brought in to attack the force and claim to have destroyed three vehicles and killed a number of fighters.

According to one LNA source, the clashes involved fighters from the so-called Islamic State (IS). Locals are reported claiming that units arrived in vehicles flying black flags and set up a temporary checkpoint in the area.

Both the LNA and the rival Bunyan Marsous operations room says that IS is increasingly active in the area again.

Earlier this week, LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari said there had been “a massive mobilisation” of IS forces in the area around Sirte. He claimed that they planned to move on the oil fields and terminals east of Sirte, and then towards Benghazi and Derna.

Two days ago, a suicide bomber killed four members of the east’s security forces at the checkpoint at Nufliya, some 50 kilometres further east.

The IS also claimed  responsibility for the Fugha checkpoint attack in Jufra district ten days ago in which nine LNA soldiers and two civilians were killed.

According to another LNA report, however, the group involved in yesterday’s fighting belonged to the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB). Headed by Musafa Sharksi, the BDB is widely reported to be operating further south in the Jufra district. It is known to want to move towards the oil terminals and then Benghazi.

In fact, the LNA now regularly conflates the BDB and IS. However, although separate, there are suggestions that they collaborate and overlap.