TRIPOLI, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Libya’s east-based army, seized a Grenada-flagged ship with Turkish crew, off the Libyan coast, local media reported today.
“A vessel under the flag of Grenada, with a team of Turkish citizens on board, was detained,” the east-based Libyan National Army Spokesman, Ahmad al-Mismari, was quoted by local media as saying.
The eastern forces stopped the ship in Libyan waters, off the eastern city of Derna and questioned three crew members, with Turkish passports, the spokesman said.
The ship was then tugged to a nearby port, Ras El Hilal, for “inspection and to verify its cargo,” al-Mismari said.
It was not clear right now what the ship was carrying.
The news came amid growing cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli.
The UN-backed government of Libya decided to activate two security memorandums of understanding (MoU’s) signed with Turkey on Nov 27.
One of the two MoU’s is a maritime boundary deal that covers areas also claimed by Greece.
Turkey’s parliament passed a security and military cooperation deal signed with the UN-backed Libyan government.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said, Turkey would have the right to deploy soldiers to Libya, if it was invited by the UN-backed Libyan government.
General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based army, declared the launch of the final stage of military campaign in and around Tripoli, ordering his troops to further advance into the city.
The east-based army and the UN-backed government have been fighting in and around Tripoli, since early Apr, over the control of the capital.
The conflicts killed and injured thousands of people, and displaced nearly 120,000 civilians.– NNN-AGENCIES