The Libyan city of Sirte hosted the second such meeting between competing military factions, a step viewed by Libyan politicians and analysts as part of efforts to unify the country's divided military establishment between east and west.

Lieutenant General Khaled Haftar, chief of staff of the Libyan National Army (LNA), and Lieutenant General Salah al-Namroush, chief of staff of the Government of National Unity (GNU) forces, met on Sunday for the first time in Sirte.

Khaled Haftar welcoming al-Namroush in Sirte on Sunday (from a video clip published by those close to the General Command in eastern Libya)

Al-Namroush arrived in Sirte at the head of a military delegation, where he held a meeting seen as a step that boosts hopes for unifying the military institution and bridging views between the eastern and western sides of Libya.

Saddam Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the LNA, welcomed the meeting of Khaled Haftar and al-Namroush in Sirte, which he described as 'the unifying city of the nation.' The meeting included a number of Libyan military leaders, among them Secretary-General of the General Command Lieutenant General Kheiri al-Tamimi, in the presence of members of the Joint Military Committees '5+5' and '3+3,' and with the participation of the UN mission.

In a post on a personal account attributed to him on Facebook, Saddam Haftar praised 'the positive atmosphere that prevailed during the meeting, reflecting a spirit of national responsibility and genuine concern for prioritizing the supreme interest of the homeland.'

He said the meeting comes 'in the context of national efforts aimed at unifying the military institution and ending the state of division, with support from international partners.'

He also appreciated 'the efforts made by the United States, including the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), alongside the UN mission, in supporting endeavors aimed at building a unified and professional Libyan military institution, enhancing Libya's security and stability, and preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity.'

Forces of the LNA's 'Peace Battalion' during deployment in southeastern Libya (Libyan Army)

He stressed that 'unifying the military institution on national and professional foundations represents a fundamental goal for protecting the homeland and preserving its sovereignty.' He added: 'We will continue to work with all seriousness and responsibility to build strong and effective institutions, protect Libya's territories and borders, consolidate national unity, and achieve a unified Libyan army capable of performing its duties in defending the nation and its citizens.'

The meeting of Khaled Haftar and al-Namroush comes amid U.S. diplomatic and military moves aimed at unifying military, security, and economic institutions in Libya, under an initiative sponsored by Massad Boulos, adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.

The LNA had previously fought with 'Western Libya forces' in a war that lasted about 13 months, ending at the southern gates of Tripoli, before the army forces withdrew to the Sirte-Jufra axis, outside the administrative boundaries of the capital, in mid-2020.

Libyan politicians, activists, and bloggers celebrated the meeting of Khaled Haftar and al-Namroush, describing it as 'a good step with strong implications' that would enhance chances of unifying the divided military institution, pointing to the importance of moving 'from a phase of estrangement to a language of constructive dialogue, and blocking any external interference.'

Political analyst Omar Bu Saida described the meeting of Khaled Haftar and al-Namroush in Sirte as 'a major leadership step towards unified military coordination that protects Libya's sovereignty and stability.'

Sirte is located about 450 kilometers from Tripoli, roughly midway between it and Benghazi, and is the birthplace of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi. It was previously controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2015, which made it one of its main strongholds in North Africa.

A military source had told Asharq Al-Awsat last Friday about military meetings hosted by Sirte this week, including the meeting of Khaled and al-Namroush, expecting another meeting soon bringing together Saddam Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the LNA, and Abdul Salam al-Zoubi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense of the GNU.

Two members of the Libyan army in the capital Tripoli (Reuters - Archive)

The first meeting hosted by Sirte had brought together Saddam and al-Zoubi on the sidelines of the 'Flintlock 2026' exercise on April 14, an unprecedented step that received wide interaction among Libyans, who considered it a 'potential beginning' towards unifying the divided military institution.

Saddam and al-Zoubi also met a second time in May, during their participation in an event in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Sirte hosts the headquarters of the Joint Military Committee '5+5,' which explains the holding of military meetings between the eastern and western sides in the city, where LNA forces have been stationed on its outskirts since their withdrawal from entering the capital Tripoli in June 2020.

The appearance of al-Namroush and Khaled Haftar together at the Conference of African Defense Chiefs of Staff, held on the 2nd of this month in the Angolan capital Luanda, and their meeting with AFRICOM commander Dagvin Anderson, sparked speculation about pushing U.S. efforts towards unifying the Libyan military institution.

During the 'February 17 Revolution' of 2011, Sirte was the last city to witness a decisive battle between Gaddafi's brigades and opposition forces, and it witnessed the bloody end of Gaddafi in October 2011, where he was killed on its outskirts, causing large parts of it to suffer extensive destruction during the battles, but it has now begun to 'rise urbanely,' according to what the government and various segments of its residents reflect.