On 11 March, the South Liberation Operations Room (SLOR) commander, Mohamed Warduko, gave a 5-minute video statement in which he claimed that his forces are determined to rebel any attacks by Libyan National Army (LNA)-Chadian joint forces. Warduko called on the Chadian president, Mohamed Déby, to dissociate from the LNA and to not interfere in an ‘internal affairs’. Warduko also claimed that he has refused a negotiation offer by LNA for a bribe and a military position.
On 20 March, the SLOR staged a brief attack-and-kidnap operation on the Nagaza checkpoint south of Tajerhi village, south Qatroun and kidnapped 12 LNA soldiers. According to some sources, the SLOR attack was assisted by the Chadian Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) rebel group. Pro-LNA social media claimed that the attack was orchestrated by a group of smugglers and was successfully rebelled.
After an attack by the SLOR on the al-Toum border crossing on 31 January, the LNA established the 18th Light Infantry Brigade in Murzuq to reinforce and coordinate LNA operational capacity. Following the SLOR’s retaliatory attack on 27 February, the LNA 129th Battalion was deployed to Al-Toum border pass with Niger. The 129th is part of the 106th Brigade and is predominantly of Tebu community and is based in Kufra and Sarir. The move is seen as a preventative measure by LNA, as Warduko may refrain from attacking his own community members
In addition, the LNA has released dozens of Tebu smugglers imprisoned in Benghazi’s notorious Gernada prison.