Early on Friday, drone attacks struck an airbase in eastern Libya used by Wagner mercenaries from Russia, but no injuries were reported. This is according to reports from a military official.
Under the condition of anonymity, the official stated that the cause of the nocturnal attacks on the Al-Kharruba airbase, located some 150 km southwest of Benghazi, was “unknown.”
The official stated that “members of the Wagner group are located” at the base that was bombed, adding that “no victims” had been reported.
Since strongman Moamer Kadhafi was ousted in 2011, Libya has been ripped apart by a stop-start conflict that has attracted numerous foreign powers.
The nation of North Africa is still divided between an interim administration in the western city of Tripoli and one in the eastern region, which is supported by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The Wagner organisation has supported Haftar in the past, including during his abortive takeover attempt of the capital, together with mercenary fighters from Chad, Sudan, Niger, and Syria.
Although some of them had left to fight in Mali and Ukraine to help the Russian army’s invasion, Wagner mercenaries are still operating in the oil-rich eastern Libya and the southern part of the country.