[5] In April 2019, Haftar's army launched an offensive to take Tripoli from the UN-backed Government of National Accord, during which Air Force planes loyal to the GNA attacked LNA positions.

[25] On 18 May 2020, it was captured by forces aligned with Libya's internationally recognised government after a sustained assault, in what could be their most significant advance for nearly a year.

[4] At the base, they captured a Pantsir-S1 TLAR belonging to the Libyan National Army with minor damages and was transported by the US forces to be examined.

[26][27][28] On 4 July 2020, unidentified "foreign" warplanes targeted al-Watiya airbase, according to a spokesman for the GNA forces, Col. Mohamed Gnounou.

The airstrikes injured some Turkish soldiers and destroyed the MIM-23 Hawk missiles and KORAL Electronic Warfare System.