The Presidential Council (PC), in its capacity as the supreme commander of the army on Saturday, banned all military movements across the country without its approval.

The PC issued a statement prohibiting any re-positioning of military units for any purpose, regardless of the nature of their work, or the transfer of personnel, weapons, or ammunition, without its prior approval.

The PC's decision follows the movements of Haftar's militias towards the southern Essen border crossing with Algeria, declaring the area a military zone in which movement was strictly forbidden.

On Thursday, Haftar announced an operation in the south "to track down the Takfiri terrorists and expel African mercenary gangs which threaten security and stability."

Concomitantly, the Supreme Commander of the Libyan Army announced the appointment of Masoud Abdel Jalil as commander of the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Force in the southern region, and Ali Al-Ghanai Qiraira as commander of the joint operations room for securing the south.

The PC also assigned the 117th, 116th, and 96th infantry battalions to join the operations room in the southern region.