Buk Missile Systems to Shield Haftar Army Base from Turkish F-16s

The Libyan National Army (LNA)’s al-Jufra air base has now been buttressed by the transfer of Russian-made Buk missile systems.

“Buk (M1-2 or M2) medium-range surface-to-air missile systems are transferred to LNA’s al-Jufra air base to protect it from incoming airstrikes of Turkish F-16 fighter jets! Several ex-UAE Army's Pantsir S1E systems are still based there,” Babak Taghvaee, a military expert, said in a tweet Tuesday.

It is not clear who sent the Buk systems to the Libyan air base.

Last week, the Pentagon accused Russia of having flown at least 14 fighters (MiG-29s, Su-35s) to join Wager Group mercenaries allied with the LNA, led by putschist commander Khalifa Haftar. The jets were repainted in Syria’s Khmeimin air base to camouflage their Russian origin, US Africa Command said.

In what could escalate into some serious aerial campaign, Turkey has now reportedly sent a C-130 Hercules cargo plane carrying tens of mercenaries escorted by F-16 fighters into Libya to support Government of National Accord (GNA) forces fight Haftar’s Army.