Africa-Press. Eastern Libya forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar said they had regained control of the Al-Toum border crossing between Libya and Niger, hours after losing it in a surprise attack by armed men calling themselves the “Revolutionaries of the South”, who left Haftar fighters stationed at the crossing either dead or captured.
A video aired by local channels quoted the attackers as saying their move was aimed at “correcting the course of the February 17 revolution” and was driven by what conditions in the south had become, including fuel shortages and a lack of services.
In response, media platforms supportive of Haftar’s forces circulated videos they said documented his troops retaking the crossing.
Libyan media quoted one of Haftar’s fighters as saying: “A group of hired gangs attacked the Al-Toum crossing and some checkpoints, and they were confronted by Battalion 676, affiliated with the General Command of the Libyan Army and stationed on the border.”
He added: “The attackers were repelled and driven out, human losses were inflicted on them, and they were pursued deep into the desert, while the armed forces continue sweeping operations along the border strip.”
The Al-Toum crossing with Niger is considered highly strategic due to its central role in trade movement and smuggling routes, making control of it symbolically and militarily significant in the balance of influence over southern Libya.
Partial calm
Separately, local sources reported calmer conditions and a gradual return of movement in the southern part of Az Zawiyah, west of Tripoli, after armed clashes broke out on Friday evening between two groups—one affiliated with the Ministry of Defence and the other with the Presidential Council—in the Sayyida Zaynab area south of the city.
A member of Az Zawiyah’s council of elders and notables, Al-Bachti Al-Zahouf, confirmed that the rival parties had returned to their positions, life was returning to normal, and the coastal road had reopened in both directions.
The Red Crescent branch urged residents to stay indoors and avoid exposed areas, calling on the parties to stop the clashes immediately, open a safe corridor to evacuate stranded families, and ensure civilian safety.
Libya remains locked in a crisis involving two rival governments: one internationally recognised—the Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya—and another appointed in early 2022 by the House of Representatives of Libya, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most southern cities.
The United Nations has for years sought a political settlement and to address disputes among Libyan institutions that have hindered parliamentary and presidential elections.
