Libya conflict: Turkey confirms soldiers killed

Libya conflict: Turkey confirms soldiers killed
February 26, 2020 - 14:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Two Turkish soldiers have been killed in Libya, the first casualties the nation has confirmed since it sent troops to the oil-rich state, the BBC reports.

"We have two martyrs in Libya," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, without giving further details.

Last month, Turkey sent soldiers and Syrian fighters to Libya to bolster the UN-backed government in Tripoli.

The capital has been under a 10-month-long siege by forces loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar.

His Libyan National Army (LNA) is backed by Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the government in Tripoli is supported by Turkey and its ally Qatar.

On Sunday, the LNA said it had killed 16 Turkish soldiers.

Turkey signed a military co-operation deal with the Tripoli-based government last year, opening the way for the deployment of troops.

Turkey has also sent fighters from the Syrian National Army rebel group to the North African state.

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