A senior Egyptian military envoy attended on Tuesday with Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar the graduation of the 51 Libyan Military class in Benghazi. Pictures of the Egyptian delegation headed by Major General Mohamed El-Keshki, assistant minister of defense for external relations, with Libyan commander Haftar, were shown as they attended a military show during the graduation ceremony. The ceremony ended with the speech by Haftar, who congratulated all the members of the Libyan armed forces on their victories over the forces of terrorism in Libya. He also praised victories of the army in eastern, western and southern Libya. The Libyan commander said that military operations will not stop until Libya is liberated from militias and extremist groups. The graduation of the Libyan military class coincides with the fourth anniversary of operation Karama (battle for dignity), launched by the army in 2014 to combat rival militias. Haftar, who dominates eastern Libya, is seen by Cairo as playing an important role in restoring stability and security in Libya, and also in safeguarding Egypt's national security interests along the Egypt-Libyan border. The Egyptian delegation visit comes a month after Libya's internationally recognised government launched a new offensive against remnants of the Islamic State group operating in the country. The operation is being carried out by counter-terrorism forces in an area spreading from 60 kilometres east of the city of Misrata to the outskirts of five other towns: Bani Walid, Tarhouna, Msallata, Al-Khoms, and Zliten. The Libyan commander said during the ceremony that the time has come to liberate Libya's eastern port city of Derna. He has also warned civilians living in and around cities of conflict to seek safety. In late 2016, local forces aligned with the Government of National Accord (GNA) ousted the Islamic State group from its stronghold in the city of Sirte with help from U.S. air strikes. Haftar, 75, returned to Benghazi in late April after receiving medical treatement in Paris for about two weeks. Haftar has long been seen as a contender for national power, and reports about his health sparked a flurry of speculation inside Libya, including claims that he was gravely ill and that rivals were maneuvering to replace him. Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) is aligned with a parliament and a government that has been based in eastern Libya since 2014. They control most of eastern Libya, including the majority of its oil fields and ports, as well as parts of the south. Haftar declared victory in July 2017, though sporadic fighting continued until late last year.
