The Libyan crisis could be solved politically rather than military but as long as commander Khalifa Haftar continues to target civilian settlements, talks for a solution and negotiations could not continue, Sarraj told reporters in Tripoli. And he characterized as “war crimes” the warlord’s recent attacks targeting civilians, Anadolu Agency reported.

At least 30 people were killed and 33 injured Jan. 5 when Haftar’s forces launched an airstrike on the dormitory of a military school in Tripoli, mainly targeting students.

Since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya, supported mainly by Egypt and the UAE, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.

Libya’s government has been under attack by Haftar since last April, with more than 1,000 lives lost in the violence.

Warring parties announced a cease-fire Jan. 12 in response to a joint call by Turkey and Russia. However, talks for a permanent cease-fire ended without an agreement after Haftar left Moscow on Jan. 14 without signing a deal.

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A meeting was held on Wednesday in the capital Tripoli among UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj, Chairman of the High Council of State Khalid al-Meshri, and a number of senior political and military officials of the UN-backed government, according to the Interior Ministry.

The government and other participants of the meeting reviewed the latest developments of the crisis in Libya, including the talks toward a ceasefire agreement in Moscow and the upcoming Berlin conference on Libya, the ministry said, Xinhua news agency reported.

They stressed the importance of political and military efforts to end the ongoing conflict, it added.

On Monday, intra-Libyan talks mediated by Russia and Turkey reached no settlement, though efforts to reach a deal are expected to continue.

The east-based army had been leading a military campaign since early April, attempting to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government.

The conflict killed and injured thousands of people, and displaced more than 120,000 civilians.

Libya has been suffering escalating violence and political instability, ever since the fall of its then-leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

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