Libyan parliament names Hifter top army commander amid campaign against Islamists
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Khalifa Hifter, a veteran general leading a campaign against Islamist militias, has been named the general commander of the armed forces loyal to the internationally-backed government.
Lawmaker Tarek al-Garoushi says that parliament speaker Aqila Issa, in his capacity as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, also promoted Hifter to the highest rank of general on Monday.
Al-Garoushi says the promotion is designed to "unify the ranks of the army" in accordance with "popular demand."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
In eastern Libya, Hifter has amassed popular support by battling Islamic militants who have run amok since the ouster of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in a 2011 uprising.
But in the west, where Islamist-allied militias have seized the capital Tripoli and established a rival government, Hifter is despised as a holdover from Gadhafi's reign.