DEFENCEWEB
The Libyan Army has taken delivery of 200 high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, commonly known as Humvees, for use in border patrol and security duties. The country continues to rebuild and strengthen the Armed Forces against the backdrop of growing insecurity and the proliferation of militias and transnational jihadist groups.
The donation from the United States Army comes as the Libyan Army struggles to secure the country’s borders against arms dealers, terrorists and drug traffickers who took advantage of the security vacuum created by the fall of Moammar Gadhafi in October 2011.
Libyan Army chiefs unveiled the armored cars in Tripoli in July 2013, saying the country needs to improve the mobility of its border patrol units.
Libya is rebuilding and re-equipping its Army with the help of international partners, including the Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, among others. The Army is battling armed extremist groups and former militias that refuse to give up weapons they obtained while fighting in the revolution against Gadhafi.