Libya parliament attack 'instructed' by ex-general Haftar

A spokesman for renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar on Monday said that a Sunday attack on parliament headquarters in capital Tripoli had been coordinated with the general.

"The group that stormed the parliament building was instructed to do so by Haftar's forces," Col. Mohamed al-Hegazi told Anadolu Agency.

The Libyan parliament was attacked on Sunday by forces apparently loyal to Haftar, a one-time rebel commander who fought against ex-Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

The attack sent MPs running for their lives, after which gunmen reportedly ransacked the building, according to media reports.

"Parliament will remain in our control by force because it has lost its legitimacy," Hegazi said.

"It must be handed over to a legitimate body, namely the constitution-drafting agency," Hegazi added, stressing that Haftar and his followers did not intend to enter politics.

The spokesperson added that calls for the dissolution of Libya's interim parliament that followed the attack had also been coordinated with Haftar's so-called "General Command of the Libyan Army."

These reports contradict previous claims from the government side that the two incidents in Benghazi and Tripoli were not linked, with widespread confusion now circulating about who orchestrated the attack.

Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani said on Sunday that two people had been killed and 55 wounded in clashes between rival militia groups in southern Tripoli, but stressed that the violence had "no real link" to an offensive launched Friday by ex-general Khalifa Haftar against Islamists in Benghazi, 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) to the east.

Following the assault on the Parliament a colonel claiming to speak on behalf of the official Libyan army also declared that parliament had been suspended but did not mention Haftar’s involvement.

"We, members of the army and revolutionaries [former rebels], announce the suspension of the General National Congress," said Mokhtar Fernana, reading out a statement broadcast on two private television channels.

However, Hejazi has said Fernana's group was allied to the former general, according to Reuters.

Analysts interviewed by the Middle East Eye backed up the claim, saying that Hejazi was almost certainly behind the attack on the parliament and that he was being backed by certain army factions, despite government denials.

Spate of attacks mar Libya

The spate of attacks on Tripoli, comes on the back of a Haftar-led assault on Benghazi which saw forces loyal to Haftar clash with Islamist inspired groups.

The fighting left 75 people dead and 141 injured, according to a Health Ministry official. In total it is believes almost 80 people have been killed between Tripoli and Benghazi clashes in the last few days.

The escalation in violence has prompted worry from the EU with a spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton saying that the 27-member block was "deeply concerned" by the "continuing deterioration" of developments.

"The EU renews its commitment to support the Libyan people ... and calls on all parties to build consensus so as to ensure a transition to a stable democracy," said Michael Mann a spokesperson for the EU’s foreign affairs head Catherine Ashton.

Saudi Arabia also responded to the clashes by closing its embassy in Tripoli and evacuated all its diplomats over "security" concerns, the state news agency SPA reported. Saudi Arabia also closed its consulate "due to the current circumstances and the security situation."

Since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, successive Libyan governments have struggled to impose order as heavily armed former rebel brigades have carved out their own fiefdoms.