G7 foreign ministers oppose military action in Libya

Foreign ministers of the group of seven nations said on Friday that they were strongly opposed to military action in the country and implicitly warned eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar against continuing his advance on the capital Tripoli. "We firmly believe that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict," the foreign ministers from France, Britain, Germany, United States, Italy, Japan and Canada said in a statement sent amid talks in western France.

"We strongly oppose any military action in Libya. Any Libyan actor or faction that precipitates further civil conflict are harming innocent people and standing in the way of the peace that Libyans deserve." The advance that began on Thursday by Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) force, which is allied to a parallel administration based in the east, escalates a power struggle that has splintered the nation since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The statement did not directly cite Haftar.

(With inputs from agencies.)