It is being estimated that more than 50 people have been killed in Libya, following upraising clashes that have engulfed the country’s capital, Tripoli.
However, official sources have reported only 10 confirmed deaths and dozens of injuries as a result of the recent fighting in the Libyan capital.
But local residents and eyewitnesses suggest the actual death toll is significantly higher, with estimates exceeding 50 casualties.
Meanwhile the Misrata Military Council, Revolutionary Leaders, and the city’s elders have issued a strong statement condemning what they describe as ‘suspicious protests’ in Tripoli, accusing them of being backed by paid agendas.
Misrata blames media
They also blamed media outlets claiming that they were aiming to destabilize the capital and undermine the Government of National Unity, the Western Region Government.
They declared any attempt to interfere with the government’s decisions as a red line, vowing to confront it with full force and without compromise.
The statement voiced full support for the Ministry of Defense’s ongoing operations in Abu Salim district in Tripoli to eliminate centers of crime and corruption, warning that any obstruction will be treated as a hostile act against the state.
It also accused forces from the eastern region, backed by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, of trying to ignite unrest in Tripoli by supporting outlaw groups and promoting chaos through targeted media.
The Misrata leadership pledged a full-scale mobilization in the western region if the government is attacked or further unrest unfolds. “The response will be firm, and loyalty to Libya will not be compromised,” the statement concluded.
U.S surveilling Libya
On the other hand, the United States is actively conducting surveillance and reconnaissance missions along the Libyan coastline, utilizing a fleet of advanced military aircraft, according to flight-tracking reports.
These operations have been observed covering a wide area from Tripoli in the west to Tobruk in the east regularly flying over Misrata, Benghazi, and occasionally into the Gulf of Sirte.
According to the Italian defense monitoring website Itamilradar, many of these aircraft take off from the U.S. Navy’s Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, a strategic location for monitoring North African developments.