Militias loyal to Khalifa Haftar on Friday morning announced the launch of a military operation against terrorists in southern Libya.

Anadolu Agency reported that the militias released a statement saying that troops were dispatched to the south to support the forces there.

The statement said the operation was aimed at capturing terrorists and deporting African mercenaries who threaten security and stability and engage in looting, theft and all kinds of smuggling.

The terrorist gangs target security points in the country’s southwest with bomb-laden vehicles, it added.