Wagner mercenaries accused of using chemical weapons in battle near Tripoli
Russian mercenaries from the private military company the Wagner Group used chemical weapons in the fighting in the Tripoli area, stated by the Minister of the Interior of the Government of National Accord of Libya (GNA) Fathi Bashagha, Anadolu reports.
According to him, Wagner's mercenaries used nerve gas against GNA forces in the Salah al-Din area of southern Tripoli.
Bloomberg previously reported that about a hundred mercenaries of Wagner's private military company arrived in Libya in early September 2019 to support the Libyan National Army of General Khalifa Haftar. According to the sources of the agency, Wagner mercenaries are taking part in the fighting in the Tripoli area.
In early September, 300 mercenaries from Wagner Group were assisted by Khalifa Haftar, The Telegraph reported, citing a British government source. According to him, all the employees of the CVC are stationed in Benghazi.
The Libyan National Army, led by Haftar, is trying to capture oil fields as part of a military operation that began in January. In February, it was reported that Libya's largest oil field, El Sharara, had fallen into the hands of Haftar forces.
In November 2018, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin’s close associate who is believed to run the Wagner Group, was seen at talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and Haftar, Novaya Gazeta reported.