TRIPOLI - Earlier, the Government of National Accord located in Tripoli, which is in control of the western part of the country, announced its military preparedness amid news of an advance of the Libyan National Army into the government's territories.

Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), has ordered his forces to begin an offensive against Tripoli to "liberate it from terrorists", referring to the Government of National Accord, led by Fayez al-Sarraj and formed with the support of the UN and the EU. Haftar called on citizens of Tripoli to lay down their arms and raise the white flag.

The LNA has reportedly seized control over the cities of Surman and Garyan, located west and south of Tripoli respectively, Sky News Arabia reported.

The Government of National Accord (GNA) recently announced mobilisation, military preparedness, and the maximum level of emergency amid plans of the Libyan National Army to move further into GNA-controlled territories in the west.

Libya has been embroiled in a severe political crisis since National Transitional Council forces, supported by NATO, murdered the country's former head, Muammar Gaddafi. The country was eventually divided between the parliament, which was elected in 2014 and is based in the city of Tobruk as well as supported by the LNA, and the GNA, which was formed at the UN's initiative and controls the western part of the country, including its capital, Tripoli.

The UN announced that it would hold a conference in Ghadames on 14-16 April in a bid to set a date for organising country-wide elections that would put an end to the diarchy and political turmoil in Libya.