Haftar forces seize most of Libya’s Derna from extremist groups – reports

The self-styled Libyan National Army says it has seized most of the western coastal city of Derna from extremist groups who have controlled it for years. LNA forces have captured “more than 75 percent of Derna and forced out terrorists from most of the city,” spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmari told AP on Friday. Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who leads the LNA, announced in May that his forces launched a military operation aimed at liberating Derna from extremist groups. Haftar’s forces have surrounded the city of 150,000 people for years. The commander is allied with the east-based administration that is at odds with the UN-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli.