Libya, Syria: Libyan National Army Troops May Be Training In Syria

Russian trainers may be training Libyan National Army troops in Syria, according to aircraft transponder tracking records and unverified reports circulating on Twitter. Tracking data appear to show four Russian Air Force transport aircraft flew from the airport of Sidi Barrani – an Egyptian town about 95 kilometers (59 miles) from Egypt's border with Libya – to Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria. These flights add credence to allegations that Russia is transporting Libyan National Army soldiers to Syria, where they are training alongside Syrian soldiers under the oversight of Russian troops. While it has not yet been fully corroborated, the possibility is certainly not far-fetched, since it would provide means by which Russian troops can increase their involvement with the Libyan National Army without actually deploying to Libya. With Russia already training thousands of Syrian troops, the additional Libyan forces could be incorporated into the training exercises relatively easily.