Rival Libyan forces carry out tit-for-tat airstrikes

[WorldNews]

By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Rival Libyan forces carried out tit-for-tat airstrikes on oil terminals and an airport on Tuesday, escalating their battle for control of the country days before United Nations peace talks were due in Morocco. The OPEC oil producer's oil installations and other key infrastructure are increasingly a target in the conflict which pits two rival governments and their armed forces against each other, nearly four years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi. Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni's internationally recognized government and elected parliament have been operating from the east since rival Libya Dawn forces took over Tripoli in the summer and set up their own administration. A warplane belonging to Tripoli-allied forces bombed the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sidra, causing only minor damage, according to a security official with Thinni's government.

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