On Friday the government of Libya's Libyan Foreign Ministry asked the Italian government to clarify its recent decision to increase its troops in Libya. "The foreign ministry delivered a verbal note to the Italian embassy in Tripoli on the decision to increase the Italian troops in Libya," Libyan foreign ministry official Ahmed Al-Arbad said in Xinhua. "The ministry has requested urgent clarification from the Italian government on the vote of the Italian Parliament to increase the number of Italian troops in Libya," said Al-Arbad. The Italian Parliament approved on Wednesday an increase in Italian troops in Libya. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni previously said Italy will transfer part of its military units from Iraq and Afghanistan to North Africa to combat illegal immigration and counter terrorist threats. The National Defense and Security Committee of the East-based House of Representatives of Libya condemned the decision, calling it a "violation of Libya's sovereignty." In September 2016, the Italian government sent a military mission, including around 100 special forces troops, at the request of the UN-backed Libyan government to Misrata, about 200 km east of the capital Tripoli, to protect the field hospital. Italian inside the Misurata air base.
