Jeddah - The commander of the east Libyan forces has accused Qatar and other countries of supporting terrorist organizations linked to Al-Qaeda in Libya. Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA), said some other countries were also aiding terror outfits, but he did not name them. Haftar said on Sunday that the LNA is monitoring foreign communities in Libya who, he said, entered the country because of lack of border control. These communities are "supported by regional countries and terrorism-sponsoring countries," he said, specifically naming Qatar. He said these countries fund militias fighting on Libyan soil, according to local media sources close to Haftar, including Iwan Libya. He said some of these figures received "sums of money from Qatar and other countries, and from terrorist elements represented by some terrorist militias in Libya, linked to Al-Qaeda." Haftar added that Libya welcomes the presence of foreign communities that contribute to the country's development. He stressed that relations with them are based on neighborly ties, but "if they engage in terrorism and fighting on Libyan soil, Libyan forces will limit their activities and hold them accountable." He reiterated that "the armed forces are monitoring them, and that they will be firmly dealt with by security agencies."
