"Salahuddin al-Namroush, the deputy chief of staff, has instructed army units to be on high alert and ready to repel any possible attack," a military source told the Libya al-Ahrar television channel.

Energy-rich Libya has been wracked by unrest since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising.

It is split between the UN-recognised government in the capital Tripoli in the west and a rival administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar that rules from Benghazi and Tobruk in the east.

In 2019-2020, Haftar's forces tried to seize Tripoli but failed, despite backing from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia and some Western powers.

Libya al-Ahrar, a privately-owned channel, reported Wednesday that forces affiliated with Haftar were "heading towards southwest Libya", in an area controlled by Tripoli authorities, without providing further details.

Forces led by the strongman's youngest son, General Saddam Haftar, on Tuesday said they were deploying "patrols ... to monitor the border strip with neighbouring countries" to enhance "national security and stability in these strategic areas".

According to a statement posted on Facebook, the units, under the "direct supervision" of Saddam Haftar, are heading "towards the towns and areas of southwest Libya".

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