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| Libya names anti-Islamist General Haftar as army chief | Libya names anti-Islamist General Haftar as army chief |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A controversial anti-Islamist, General Khalifa Haftar, has been named head of the Libyan army. | A controversial anti-Islamist, General Khalifa Haftar, has been named head of the Libyan army. |
| Libya's internationally recognised government controls only a small part of the country, with Tripoli controlled by rivals Libya Dawn. | Libya's internationally recognised government controls only a small part of the country, with Tripoli controlled by rivals Libya Dawn. |
| The country has been blighted by fighting between the factions, as well as attacks by jihadist groups. | The country has been blighted by fighting between the factions, as well as attacks by jihadist groups. |
| Gen Haftar launched Operation Dignity last year, a self-declared war on Islamists in the city of Benghazi. | Gen Haftar launched Operation Dignity last year, a self-declared war on Islamists in the city of Benghazi. |
| On Monday there were reports of fighting between Haftar-controlled troops and Islamists in the city. | On Monday there were reports of fighting between Haftar-controlled troops and Islamists in the city. |
| The former general is a divisive figure amongst Libyans. He has drawn praise for attempts to bring order to the chaos in the country but criticism for his aggressive use of force, including air strikes. | The former general is a divisive figure amongst Libyans. He has drawn praise for attempts to bring order to the chaos in the country but criticism for his aggressive use of force, including air strikes. |
| Who is General Khalifa Haftar? | |
| As a young military officer he helped Colonel Muammar Gaddafi come to power, before fleeing the country in 1987 to live in the United States. | |
| He returned to Libya to fight against Gaddafi in the 2011 revolution, but it was only in 2014 that he rose to prominence with a vow to rid Libya of violent Islamists. | He returned to Libya to fight against Gaddafi in the 2011 revolution, but it was only in 2014 that he rose to prominence with a vow to rid Libya of violent Islamists. |
| Initially the leader of a rogue militia, in recent months the government and Gen Haftar have sought to integrate their forces. | Initially the leader of a rogue militia, in recent months the government and Gen Haftar have sought to integrate their forces. |
| As well Libya Dawn, which has formed a rival administration, the government also faces threats from jihadist groups, including the Islamic State group, which claims to have taken control of the city of Sirte. | As well Libya Dawn, which has formed a rival administration, the government also faces threats from jihadist groups, including the Islamic State group, which claims to have taken control of the city of Sirte. |
| The group recently released a video appearing to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, leading to retaliatory airstrikes by Egypt. | The group recently released a video appearing to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, leading to retaliatory airstrikes by Egypt. |