Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, was carrying out a "military coup" against the legitimate government, referring to the attack on the capital Tripoli, which entered its second week.

This came during the meeting between Matteo Salvini and Vice-President of the Presidential Council Ahmed Maiteeg in Rome on Tuesday morning, where the latter  said "the forces of the government of national accord were able to defeat the attack on the walls of Tripoli."

"The presidential council will not allow chaos and it has the ability to maintain the security situation and combat terrorism," Maiteeg added.

Salvini considered that what the Marshal Khalifa Haftar is leading was "a military coup against the legitimate government and an invasion of the capital Tripoli", stressing that "Europe must be united against military coups and with the civil state and democracy," stressing at the same time that "the presidential council is a strategic partner and has the ability to fight terrorism in Libya."