Libya announces maximum security alert in Tripoli

TRIPOLI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Libya on Tuesday announced a state of maximum security alert in the capital Tripoli, a security source said.

"All security agencies of the ministry of interior have been given instructions for full readiness to deal with any suspicious movements in and around Tripoli," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The source did not reveal weather the security alert is related to the recent announcement of the eastern-based army to take over the city.

However, he said the security services in the city are "ready to deal with any armed movements against Tripoli, regardless of the party behind them."

The current security situation in the city is normal, the source added.

Milud Al-Zwai, spokesman for the eastern army's special forces, recently said movements toward the capital are confidential.

On Sunday, the army commander Gen. Khalifa Haftar said the UN-sponsored political agreement signed by the Libyan political rivals in the Moroccan city of Skhirat in 2015 is "expired."

"As of Dec. 17, 2017, the so-called political agreement expires. Therefore, all bodies resulted from this agreement automatically lost their legitimacy, which is questioned since day one," Haftar said in a televised speech.

Meanwhile, Ghassan Salame, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, urged Libyan parties to "heed their voices and refrain from any actions that could undermine the political process."

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime. The country is plagued with insecurity and chaos. Enditem