Niger denies presence of opposition fighters in Libya

TRIPOLI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Niger's Ambassador to Libya Hussein Melloul has denied presence of any Nigerien opposition fighters on Libyan territory.

The ambassador made his remarks on Monday during a meeting with Abdurrahman Swehli, the head of the Libyan Higher Council of State, in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

They discussed the bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest, including the security situation on the Libya-Niger border and illegal immigration, according to the media office of the council.

"The Ambassador of Niger denied presence of any armed opposition groups of his country on Libyan soil, stressing Niger's respect for the sovereignty and independence of Libya and its full support to the Libyan authorities to restore security and stability in the country," the office said in a statement.

Swehli highlighted the necessity of enhancing the joint cooperation on security and illegal immigration.

Since last week, the air force of the Libyan eastern-based army has been targeting a number of African armed groups in southern Libya, after the army's deadline for African migrants to leave.

The city of Sabha, located some 800 km southwest of Libyan capital Tripoli, has recently been witnessing violent clashes between rival tribes that killed and injured dozens of civilians and forced hundreds of families to flee their homes.

People from Chad, Niger and Sudan have been accused of involvement in the conflicts in Sabha. Hamed Al-Khiali, head of the Municipal Council of Sabha, said last month that the local airport was occupied by "an armed group that has nothing to do with Libya," carrying flags of other African countries.

Recently in Tripoli, the UN-backed government announced measures to support its forces in Sabha to fight the so-called "mercenaries." Enditem