Khalifa Haftar vs Monte Melkonian

Khalifa Haftar defected from the Gaddafi regime in 2011 and joined the rebel forces during the Libyan Civil War. He commanded military operations in the eastern region, gaining prominence as a field commander.

Haftar launched Operation Dignity on May 16, 2014, a military campaign against Islamist militias in Benghazi. This action escalated the Libyan Civil War and positioned Haftar as a major power broker in the east.

Haftar was appointed commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) by the Tobruk-based House of Representatives in March 2015. This gave him official command over military forces in eastern Libya.

LNA forces under Haftar captured key oil ports in the Oil Crescent region in September 2016. This gave Haftar control over most of Libya's oil infrastructure, significantly increasing his political leverage.

Haftar launched a military offensive to capture Tripoli from the UN-backed Government of National Accord on April 4, 2019. The offensive failed after 14 months of fighting, ending in a ceasefire in October 2020.

Melkonian fought in the Lebanese Civil War as a member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and other leftist groups. He was involved in guerrilla operations against Turkish targets.

Melkonian was arrested in France in 1985 and sentenced to six years in prison for possession of explosives and false documents. He was released in 1989 and subsequently moved to Armenia.

Melkonian served as a commander in the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He led Armenian forces in several key battles, including the capture of Shusha in May 1992.

Melkonian was killed in action on June 12, 1993, near the village of Merzili in Nagorno-Karabakh, during a battle with Azerbaijani forces. His death made him a national hero in Armenia and Karabakh.