Travellers fled in panic yesterday as a Libyan militia seized control of the capital’s international airport and surrounded aircraft in protest against the alleged kidnapping of their leader.
The al-Awfia brigade used armoured vehicles, heavy machine guns and a tank to close down the airport for several hours, grounding a number of flights and forcing others to be diverted to Tripoli’s Metiga airbase. The attack was in retaliation for the disappearance of their leader, Abu-Alija Habshi, who they claim was abducted by unknown assailants on Sunday.
Less than a month before the country’s first free elections, Libya’s new rulers are struggling to assert their control over an array of former fighters who helped to topple Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The al-Awfia militia are from the western town of Tarhouna, a Gaddafi stronghold before the revolution.
Mifta Ali Abu Zaid, a traveller present when the militia arrived yesterday, said that he saw one member of the airport staff being carried away with an apparent shrapnel injury, although this has not been confirmed.
Maintenance workers on an Alitalia flight reported being marched into the building at gunpoint.
Advertisement
“About 50 men came on to the tarmac with guns,” said one, who did not wish to give his name. “We tried to reason with them and tell them that this is an airport for all Libyans, but they told us to get inside or they would kill us.”
One Italian passenger described the situation as “chaotic”. “There were about 200 of them who came into the airport; they were armed. We were waiting to board our flight and we could hear noises, people shouting,” he said.
Other witnesses reported that trucks mounted with heavy weapons were parked under some aircraft. “Members of the al-Awfia brigade entered the plane. They were fully armed and they forced us off,” Ahmed Loshta, a Tripoli resident who had been due to fly to Italy, said.
Saleh Kawas, a Syrian who had been due to leave for Jordan, added: “Some armed people occupied the runway. There was a truck with a machinegun mounted and individuals carrying AK47s. They want somebody to be released.”
A large convoy of government troops was dispatched to dislodge the militia. The two sides exchanged fire, using automatic weapons and truck mounted anti-aircraft guns. Several hours later their pickup trucks remained in position and the verge next to the runway was on fire.
Advertisement
“We are here because we want the release of our commander,” Abdel El-Ati Alssani, one of the militiamen, told The Times. “Yesterday, we went to the National Transitional Council offices in Tripoli to discuss the kidnapping, but they refused to meet us. Today, we occupied the airport to put pressure on them to take this issue seriously.”
“We want answers,” said another. “That is why we are here. Our intention is not to hurt anybody.” The whearabouts of Mr Habshi and the identity of his captors remained unknown
As night fell the government eventually re-established control when their forces stormed the airport after negotiations with the militiamen broke down. Omar al-Khadrawi, Deputy Interior Minister, told journalists: “Some of the assailants fled and others turned themselves in without resistance.”
He added that the militiamen had blown up a hangar and set fire to fields surrounding the airports. Between 30 and 40 people were arrested. Flights were not expected to resume for at least 24 hours because of the damage caused to the airport’s infrastructure.
The NTC took control of Tripoli airport in April from a coalition of brigades from the northwesterm town of Zintan.