ANKARA, TURKEY
A Turkish-made robot was used to safely detonate improvised explosive devices (IED) and destroy ammunition in Libya.
Bomb squad teams effectively used the TMR 2 (Kutlu) for safe disposal of the dangerous material in the capital Tripoli, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
The ministry also posted footage of a Turkish soldier using the robot to do the job by remote control.
Attacks by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces – who sought to capture Tripoli – have left their mark on Libyan cities.
Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya’s new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by Haftar’s forces.
The UN recognizes the Libyan government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, based in Tripoli, as the country’s legitimate authority.
Turkey supports the Tripoli government and signed a security cooperation agreement with it last November.