Unidentified fighter jets yesterday bombed targets in the Libyan capital Tripoli and near the military airport in Mitiga, from where planes had been evacuating expatriates and the injured to Malta.

The attack targeted sites held by Islamist militias and was carried out, according to an intelligence source, by jets belonging to a neighbouring country coordinated by the forces of retired General Khalifa Haftar.

Reuters reported an official statement from forces loyal to Gen. Haftar, claiming responsibility for the strikes.

There is no Libya anymore but many different factions and it’s hard to keep track of who has an interest to do what

In a statement released in the afternoon, the Libyan government said it had not managed to establish who carried out the air strikes.

If confirmed, this would be the first direct intervention by a foreign country in the ongoing fighting in Libya.

Tripoli has been hit for more than a month by heavy street fighting between rival militias vying for control of the capital.

Several Libyan TV channels said planes targeted bases of militiamen from Misrata who have been battling brigades from the western Zintan region to gain control of Tripoli in the worst violence since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.

Residents said they heard several jets flying after midnight, followed by loud explosions.

No more planes were heard but fighting between militias on the ground resumed in some parts of the city in the morning.

“Countries bordering with Libya but especially Algeria and Egypt are growing increasingly concerned about the turn of events in Libya and they are stepping up their support for the anti-Islamists,” the security source told Times of Malta yesterday.

The attacks come as some Arabic media outlets reported on a military drill that involved several Mediterranean countries to counter a possible 9/11 style attack after several passenger planes went missing.

Questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister remained unanswered at the time of writing.

However, a diplomatic source said there was no intelligence suggesting an attack was being planned for Europe from Libya.

“Still, North African neighbours are getting increasingly nervous.

“There is no Libya anymore but many different factions and it’s hard to keep track of who has an interest to do what. The threat of terrorism from radical Islamists is a top concern for all the countries following the conflict closely,” he said.

Writing in Times of Malta, columnist Ranier Fsadni, an authority on Libya, argued Islamic State, the radical Islamist group that has been wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria, has historic connections with Libya, especially certain militias in the east.

So far, however, there has been no credible report that the group is operating in Libya.

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