CAIRO (AA)
Egypt has denied any link to a series of unclaimed airstrikes that hit military camps recently in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
"Egypt denies categorically reports and claims that Egyptian military aircraft struck sites held by militias in the Libyan capital Tripoli," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The release came one day after Libya Shield militia spokesman Ahmed Hedeya accused Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of being behind recent airstrikes that targeted its camps in Tripoli.
"The intelligence information that we have … indicates that Egypt and the UAE are involved," Hedeya said in a press release on Saturday. "We reserve the right to retaliate this aggression," he added.
However, the Egyptian ministry said that the allegations are "void of truth and baseless."
On Saturday, an airstrike carried out by unidentified warplanes on camps run by Libya Shield in Tripoli left at least 10 dead and 20 others injured.
The attack was the latest by unknown fighter jets on the militia's camps in Tripoli. Last week, a similar raid left four people dead.
The Libya Shield, which is widely seen as a pro-Islamist militia, is already engaged in fighting with rival militias in Tripoli over control of the capital's strategic facilities.
On Saturday, it said it gained full control of the Tripoli airport after flushing out militiamen loyal to Al-Qaaqaa and Al-Sawaaq.
Since mid-July, the two militias have been locking horns in and around Tripoli, almost totally destroying the airport – along with several planes – and wreaking havoc in the flashpoint city.
The fighting left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
Libya in general has recently witnessed heavy fighting between a loosely organized army and militias that clung to their weapons following a bloody uprising in 2011 that ended the Gaddafi rule.
By Gomaa Moselhi
www.aa.com.tr/en
