The Third Force Commander, Jamal Al-Treki, said Friday that his dismissal by the Presidency Council (PC) was unfair, accusing it of failure to provide support for his force, which has been protecting the southern region for three years.

Speaking to Tanasuh TV, Al-Treki said the PC didn’t take any action to stop Dignity Operation airstrikes and shelling on Taminhint Airbase where his force is positioned. He claimed that Dignity Operation forces were backed by Sudanese rebels and ISIS fugitives in their offensive on the airbase.

Al-Treki slammed the PC for showing different treatment to the affected people by Dignity Operation atrocities in Benghazi and Derna. 

“The PC is acting with double standards on matters like Derna, Benghazi and Qanfouda, assassinations, burning of bodies, property and the exhumation of the graves by Dignity Operation. It treats the victims as if they were not Libyans, and we haven’t witnessed any real reaction against Haftar or Ben Nayal and their militias, against the Third Force,” Al-Treki said.

The Presidency Council dismissed Defense Minister-designate Al-Mihdi Al-Baraghati and Commander of the Third Force Jamal Al-Treiki on Friday, a day after the Third Force attacked Brak Al-Shati Airbase in which more than 60 Dignity Operation militants were killed.

Al-Treki said that his force is innocent of all charges attributed to them and that facts are being distorted to suit their enemies.

“Since our presence in the region, we did not commit any violations against the south; in fact we came to the southern region at the request of its people.” He stated.

He described the attack on Brak Al-Shati Airbase as a self-defense operation, saying that Dignity Operation was mobilizing forces in Brak to launch an attack on Taminhint Airbase, according to intelligence reports that had gathered.

 

(Reported by Housam Najjair)