Libya rebels claim to have ‘destroyed’ Turkish cargo ship in Tripoli
Armed rebels under the command of renegade general Khalifa Haftar in Libya claim they have destroyed a Turkish cargo ship carrying ammunition and weapons at the port of Tripoli, western news agencies report.
“The Turkish ship loaded with weapons and ammunition [that] docked this morning in the port of Tripoli was destroyed,” said a statement on the rebels’ Facebook account on Tuesday, without providing more details.
There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, which sides with the internationally recognized government of Libya.
Other reports said that the Turkish ship, docked at Tripoli’s port, had been targeted by artillery fire, and photos circulated on social media showing a large plume of smoke in the area.
Ghassan Salame, the UN’s Libya envoy, confirmed that the port had been attacked but did not give details.