Libyan militia to surrender Tripoli's airports to gov't forces

TRIPOLI (Xinhua) - Libya's militia groups will hand over Tripoli's airports on Sunday, ending their three-year control of the crucial air hubs in the north African country.

Ahmad Hadia, spokesperson of Dirh Libya Battalion, told Xinhua that under an agreement reached with the government, their fighters will hand over Tripoli International Airport within 24 hours to security forces that belong to the Libyan Interior Ministry.

"This handover will be finalized. It means the airport will be transferred to an official government security agency after almost three years of rebels' control of the airport," Hadia said.

On Saturday, local TV channel Al-Nabaa confirmed that another airport in Tripoli, Mitiga, was returned to the Libyan army by a group of militants. Al-Nabaa said a formal ceremony was held on Saturday afternoon.

Both airports were held by militia groups from the western city of Zintan since the 2011 turmoil that toppled Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Sources said the militia groups surrendered the airports as a good gesture to the upcoming new government, which will be formed after the release of last month's parliamentary election results on July 20.