The Libyan army announced, on Friday, the launch of a military operation to secure the country's southern borders, due to the security tensions taking place in the countries of Niger and Chad, which border Libya.

The Army General Command explained, in a statement, that the operation will involve an elite group of armed forces, and will take place by land and in the air, stressing that it will not stop until its goals are achieved.

The Libyan army attributed this military operation to the political and security tensions that sub-Saharan countries are experiencing, and said that it led to the weakness of its control over its land borders, which clearly helped in the movement of cells of terrorist and criminal groups.

The army leadership stressed that it would not allow Libya to be a launching pad for any armed groups or formations that pose a threat to neighboring countries, and pledged to maintain stability and security in southern Libya.

Libya fears a large influx of migrants from Niger and Chad and the infiltration of armed terrorist groups into its territory.

A few days ago, the Libyan army deployed military patrols to secure the border strip, and the government appointed by Parliament declared a state of emergency in the areas near the southern border and raised the level of alert, especially in cities near Niger.