GNA Ministry of Interior Issues Statement on Clashes in South Tripoli Area.

Tripoli, 16 January 2019(Lana) The GNA Ministry of Interior has issued a statement on the clashes which it said have taken place in the south Tripoli area. 'The security situation in the southern Tripoli area is witnessing a deterioration since Tuesday, which led to schools being closed and terrorizing civilians, as a result of the armed clashes between undisciplined armed groups in yet another attempt to impose their agenda on the state at a time when the situation in the capital was heading towards stability, the statement said. 'As it expresses its deep concern over these security violations the Ministry is puzzled by the timing of the clashes, which come after it took, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport control of the Tripoli International Airport from the Joint Security Chamber Tarhouna, and the handover of the airport to the airport security directorate on Jan.14, the statement said. 'According to the hand-over minute, the Airport security was assigned to the airport security directorate, while the Joint Security Chamber Tarhouna was temporarily assigned to secure the area around the airport and the guard posts until a regular Army force from Tripoli Security Zone is assigned to the posts in line with the Security Plan No 1 of 2018 to secure greater Tripoli, approved by the Presidency Council on October 24, 2018, the statement said. The Ministry warned against attempts to impose a status quo over the airport area saying the airport is a vital sovereign institution that can not belong to any factional force or a militia, and that measures would be taken to ensure state control over the airport. The Ministry called for an end of the clashes and troop massing, and said it would file a report of the security breaches to the Presidency Council, and hold the perpetrators responsible for their actions before the law and also before the Libyan people and the international community. =Lana=