On 3 September, the spokesman of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Ahmed al-Mismari, stated that the operation on the southern border is conducted by elite members of the armed forces, by land and air, stressing that it will not stop until its goals are achieved. According to him, this military operation is attributed to the political and security tensions that sub-Saharan countries are going through. This has led to weak control over the land borders, which helped the movement of terrorists and criminal groups.
Mismari said that during LNA raids on smugglers and ‘terrorist’ hide-outsin the South, significant quantities of fuel that was about to be smuggled to neighbouring countries were confiscated. Mismari claimed that no Chadian government forces are present in Libya.