Rocket fire hit the Libyan capital's sole functioning airport on Sunday, violating a temporary truce between the unity government and forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, airport authorities said.
"Mitiga airport has been targeted by fire this morning, the first day of Eid Al Adha," the airport's management said in a statement on Facebook, referring to the three-day holiday that began on Sunday.
Air traffic was suspended "until further notice", the statement said, alongside photos showing columns of smoke rising from the runway and parked planes.
Field Marshal Haftar launched an offensive to take Libya's capital in early April, but encountered stiff resistance, resulting in months of stalemate in southern Tripoli's outskirts.
His Libyan National Army and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord had on Saturday agreed to a UN-sponsored humanitarian truce for Eid Al Adha, although the GNA had listed conditions, including a cessation of troop movements.
Late on Sunday a joint statement from the UAE, the US, France, Italy and the UK welcomed the UN truce for the holiday and said they were "ready to assist the UN mission in monitoring the observance of the truce and address any attempt to break it".
But the GNA blamed Field Marshal Haftar's forces for the attack against the airport, and for a separate alleged attack in the Soug Al Jomaa district of Tripoli.
"Haftar's militias have violated the truce twice," GNA spokesman Mustafa Al Mejii told AFP.
"The first targeted a home in Soug Al Jomaa, wounding three civilians, and the second hit Mitiga airport."
Located east of Tripoli, Mitiga is a former military airbase that has been used by civilian traffic since Tripoli's international airport suffered severe damage during fighting in 2014.
Mitiga is in a zone under the control of forces loyal to the UN-recognised GNA and has often been targeted.
"We have noted the co-ordinates of the rocket fire from zones controlled by Haftar's militias south of the capital" and passed them on to the UN mission in Libya," Mr Mejii said.
Libyan TV channels also reported exchanges of fire around the road to the closed international airport on Sunday.
The truce came after UN envoy Ghassan Salame had already called several times for humanitarian ceasefires, without success.
The joint statement from the five countries urged the parties to use the truce to "pave the way for a sustainable ceasefire and a return to a constructive, inclusive dialogue" towards a "lasting political solution".
Over the past four months, 1,093 people have been killed in the fighting and 5,752 wounded, according to the World Health Organization, while more than 120,000 people have been displaced.
Libya has been mired in chaos since a Nato-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
