GNA forces advance south of Tripoli

Forces allied with Libya's UN-supported Government of National Accord (GNA) announced Thursday they have regained control of all of Tripoli's entrance and exit points after taking back the airport. They claimed the siege by the rival Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), who've been trying to capture the capital for over a year, has effectively ended. The announcement marks another blow to the LAAF, led by commander Khalifa Hifter.

Late on Wednesday, the GNA forces said they had retaken Tripoli International Airport, which fell to Hifter’s troops last year. Since 2015, Libya has been divided between two governments, one in the west and one in the east. The Government of National Accord, which holds Tripoli and some other western areas of the country, is backed by the United Nations and Turkey. The rival LAAF, based in the east, is backed by Russia. Libya slid into chaos following the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.