Libya’s airport authorities say they have closed the only functional airport in the capital, Tripoli, a day after it was hit by shelling amid clashes between rival armed groups fighting for control of the city.
Nasr al-Din Shaab el-Ain, the head of Tripoli’s Civil Aviation Authority, said Monday that all flights at Mitiga airport have been suspended “until further notice.”
The Libyan Civil Aviation Authority announced Monday that air traffic at Mitiga International Airport here have been suspended for security concerns until further notice.
All flights have been transferred to Misurata International Airport, some 200 km east of Tripoli, Nasruddin Shaeb Al-Ain, head of the Civil Aviation Authority, told Xinhua.
The decision came less than 48 hours after Mitiga International Airport was hit by shelling that injured a few people and caused damage to an airplane.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday condemned the shelling.
The U.N. mission in Libya said four projectiles struck the civilian parts of the airport Sunday, with one hitting an airplane carrying pilgrims coming back from Saudi Arabia.
The Tripoli based Health Ministry said at least four people were wounded.
The U.N-supported government blamed the attack on the self-styled Libyan National Army, which launched an offensive to take Tripoli n April.
“UNSMIL condemns in the strongest possible terms this attack, which terrorized passengers and airport staff alike. This attack constitutes a direct threat to the lives of pilgrims and other civilian passengers and cannot be justified under any pretext,” the UNSMIL said in a statement.
“This is the seventh occasion since the end of July 2019 that Mitiga airport was hit by indiscriminate shelling. These vicious attacks are designed to sow fear, create chaos, and disrupt operations at the only working airport in the Libyan capital Tripoli,” the statement said.
