All articles tagged with #libya
Libya’s Misrata International Airport crash involved a 2026 Cessna Citation Latitude that veered off the runway and caught fire after flying empty from Istanbul. Libyan prosecutors say both the German captain and Turkish co-pilot were intoxicated during the flight, though the operator disputes these findings; all aboard survived and the investigation is ongoing.
Two pilots of a 2026 Cessna Citation Latitude private jet crashed on landing at Misrata International Airport in Libya, with prosecutors alleging they were flying under the influence; they were detained pending pretrial review. The Turkish-operated jet, which had departed Istanbul Atatürk Airport to pick up VIP passengers, carried three people (a German pilot, a Turkish co-pilot, and a Turkish flight attendant) and suffered a fiery runway crash with no injuries. The operator, BKNJET Aviation Co., disputed the alcohol allegations, saying no verified evidence had been received as investigations continue and the airport disruption was short.
The U.S. State Department has elevated Libya to a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory, urging Americans not to visit due to rampant kidnapping, terrorism, landmines and unrest. Travelers are advised to prepare wills and end-of-life documents, designate beneficiaries, share travel plans and login details, establish a 'proof of life' protocol, and arrange an emergency exit plan. The advisory notes there is no U.S. Embassy in Libya and limited government assistance in emergencies.
The U.S. State Department has upgraded Libya’s travel advisory to Level 4 Do Not Travel, citing pervasive crime, terrorism, health concerns, unrest, kidnapping, and landmines, with limited emergency assistance and no U.S. Embassy currently in Libya. Travelers are urged to prepare wills and end-of-life instructions, designate beneficiaries, consider leaving DNA samples with a medical provider, and establish a plan to depart independently if needed, as clashes and unmarked hazards persist.
Former political PR operative Phil Elwood recalls decades spent sanitizing the images of brutal regimes—Libya’s Gadhafi and Syria’s Assad among them—amid dangerous assignments, a spiraling addiction, and an FBI probe; after hitting rock bottom and seeking rehab, he now works on less controversial cases and questions whether his past can ever be redeemed or trusted as a narrator.
Fifteen years after the uprising that toppled Gaddafi, Libya remains divided between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli and Khalifa Haftar’s Tobruk-based administration. The US and regional powers, including Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, are pressing for a single government and a roadmap that might link unity to oil investment and a presidential-parliamentary transition, with Haftar’s son Saddam floated as a potential president. While some signs suggest Haftar’s camp is open to the plan, no unified government has emerged and talks remain ongoing, framed by a broader push toward elections and national dialogue under UNSMIL.
Libya's Zawiya refinery—country's largest—was struck by a drone, setting a 4.5 million–litre fuel tank ablaze and causing a huge fire. Most injuries were smoke-related; the NOC warned operations could be suspended if attacks continue, marking the third drone strike in two days amid Libya's ongoing instability.
An opinion piece argues Turkey’s push to rejoin the F-35 program exposes a broader strategy: building an indigenous defense base and using it to project power in Libya, arming factions and exporting Turkish tech to bolster influence. This proliferation dynamic complicates Israel’s security calculations and tests NATO cohesion, suggesting the F-35 question is tied to Ankara’s wider political and strategic objectives rather than a straightforward weapons purchase.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined Egyptian and Saudi counterparts and US adviser Massad Boulos in Cairo to discuss Iran, Libya and Gaza, signaling US outreach to Muslim-majority states and a push to preserve Libyan unity, advance the political process, and address Gaza amid a pause in the Iran conflict.
Libya’s largest oil refinery at Zawiya was shut down and employees evacuated after heavy clashes and shelling near the complex, with authorities declaring an emergency; the NOC says fuel supplies will continue normally as security operations target armed groups nearby.
Libyan authorities towed a drifting Russian-flagged tanker—part of the so‑called shadow fleet—to avert a potentially disastrous oil spill off Libyan shores, with no immediate reports of casualties as salvage teams take control of the vessel.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin alleged that Ukraine conducted a sea-drone attack on a Russian LNG tanker off the Libyan coast, which exploded and sank; Libyan authorities rescued all 30 crew members, while Kyiv did not immediately comment. Putin warned the incident could intensify energy-market volatility, as Western pressure on Russia’s gas exports continues.
The UN migration agency (IOM) says 53 people are dead or missing after a migrant boat capsized off the Libyan coast near Zuwara; only two survivors were rescued. Survivor accounts say one woman lost her husband and another lost her two babies. The boat had departed Al-Zawiya around 11:00 p.m. on Feb. 5 and capsized about six hours later. IOM warns trafficking networks exploit dangerous crossings and urges safer migration pathways to save lives, noting high death/missing tallies in the Central Mediterranean in January and 2025.
A rubber dinghy carrying about 55 migrants from several African countries capsized off north‑west Libya, killing 53 people including two babies; two Nigerian women survived and were rescued. The vessel sank about six hours after leaving al‑Zawiya, north of Zuwara, underscoring the ongoing perils of Mediterranean crossings, with around 500 migrants reported dead or missing in 2026 so far. The IOM highlights trafficking networks and unsafe vessels and calls for stronger international cooperation and safe migration pathways to prevent more tragedies.
UN migration agency IOM says 53 people are dead or missing after a migrant boat capsized north of Zuwara, Libya, with only two survivors rescued; survivors included Nigerian women who lost family. The boat departed Al-Zawiya around 11pm on Feb 5 and capsized about six hours later as trafficking networks exploit the central Mediterranean route, prompting calls for stronger international cooperation and safer, regular migration pathways.