 Al-Barghathi stated he remains loyal to the army as an institution and is determined to run it effectively.The Libyan Air Force chief of staff under Haftar, Saqr Geroushi, said that al-Barghathi should be arrested for becoming the defense minister in the GNA without the commander-in-chief's permission.It was reported that he personally led Libyan unity government forces during the offensive to retake the city of Sirte from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.