On 19 July, Libyan TV channel 218 claimed that Turkish military officers had entered Bani Walid following operations of the 444 Brigade. It is claimed that the Turkish officers installed an air defence and jamming system inside the Military Industrialization Factory. On 15 July, the 444 Brigade, which is aligned to the Government of National Unity (GNU) Ministry of Defence, had been deployed to the towns of Bani Walid and Tarhouna south-east of Tripoli. According to reports, the deployment was for a ‘rapid intervention exercise’ with as many as 3000 fighters participating.
