The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced on May 24 that its air-defense units had shot down a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) near the town of Bani Waled, southeast of the capital, Tripoli.
Nevertheless, photos of the UCAV wreckage revealed that it was a Chinese-made Wing Loong II. According to available information, this type is being operated in Libya only by the UAE, the main backer of the LNA.
A day earlier, the LNA claimed that it shot down a “Turkish” drone near the town of Qaryat. The drone also turned out to be a Wing Loong II. Two other similar incidents took place on April 19 and May 16.
Some experts believe that the LNA shot down the UAE’s drones by mistake, while others speculated that Turkish forces are responsible.
Turkey may be targeting UAE drones with some type of mobile air-defense systems that was secretly deployed in Libya. Another possibility is that electronic warfare (EW) means are being use to bring down the drones.
