The United Nations Support Mission
in Libya (UNSMIL) will be protected by anywhere from 200 to 300
international troops and Italy will likely contribute the
greatest number, defence sources told ANSA on Tuesday.
The troops will be sent when UN Libya envoy Martin Kobler
moves to Tripoli along with UNSMIL staff, the sources said.
However it is still premature to talk about numbers because
the UN has requested troops from the entire international
community and it is still not known how many the other countries
will contribute, they said.
The government earlier denied reports Italy has offered to
send 900 soldiers to Libya, with the general defence staff
describing the reports as "groundless".
On Tuesday, daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported
that Italy was preparing to send a contingent of between 600 and
900 soldiers and carabinieri to Libya to help guard sensitive
sites including oil wells and train local security forces there.
The reports came the day after Libyan premier Fayez
al-Sarraj called on the UN, Europe, and neighbouring African
countries to help Libya protect its oil resources from so called
Islamic State (ISIS) fundamentalist terrorists.
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