Libyan force imposes ‘no-fly zone’ amid fight for capital

CAIRO – One of the armed groups fighting for control of Libya’s capital says it is imposing a “no-fly zone” there.

The self-styled Libyan National Army’s announcement comes after two unmanned drone aircraft — one American and one Italian — were lost near the capital last week.

The LNA has said it shot down the Italian drone, while the U.S. military hasn’t given a reason for its drone’s loss.

Ahmed al-Mosmari, an LNA spokesman, said late Saturday that all flights over Tripoli and nearby towns are “prohibited without prior co-ordination.”

Oil-rich Libya is split between rival governments. A U.N.-supported but weak administration holds the capital, Tripoli. The LNA is allied with the government based in the country’s east.

The LNA has been trying to capture Tripoli since April.