Forces loyal to Tripoli government have recaptured the former Libyan international airport in the south of the city, Fathi Ali Bashagha told the Tripoli-based interior minister Libya al-Ahrar TV.
"As for the Tripoli airport, we have not received any confirmation from the operations headquarters about GNA groups regaining control over the international airport of Tripoli. We deny this information," Mismari said.
The LNA spokesman also dismissed media reports about specific time frames of the Tripoli offensive.
Meanwhile, the Flight Radar 24 real-time flight information service showed, in the early hours of Saturday, that there were a number of scheduled flights to and from Tripoli International Airport despite the escalation of tensions in the area amid the offensive.
As of 01:30 GMT on Saturday, six flights of Libyan Airlines are scheduled to land in the Tripoli International Airport later in the day and three arrivals of the same airline’s planes are scheduled for Sunday, according to Flight Radar 24.
Moreover, there are six planned departures of the Libyan Airlines aircraft and three flights of Afriqiyah Airways scheduled to depart from the airport on Saturday. On Sunday, five Libyan Airlines departures are scheduled.
Earlier on Friday, forces supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA) announced that they were able to stop the offensive of the Libyan National Army led by Haftar on Tripoli.
Previously, the GNA declared a general military alert after Haftar-led eastern forces announced they were moving to western parts of the country. In the meantime, according to Sputnik source, Sarraj, remains in Tripoli despite the LNA offensive.
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As a result of a years-long civil conflict that erupted following a rebellion and murder of the ex-head of state Muammar Gaddafi, there is no single central government in Libya, and the country's eastern and western parts are controlled by separate powers. The Tobruk-based parliament, elected in 2014 and backed by the LNA, governs the east of Libya, while the GNA, established in 2015, controls Libya's western parts from Tripoli.
