Libya’s eastern-based army said it took control of the southwestern towns of Ghat and Awaynat near Algerian border on Thursday.

According to Army Spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari, the armed forces entered into the two towns and the residents welcomed the armed forces.

The army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign against crime and terrorism in southern Libya since mid-January.

On Wednesday, al-Mismari said the army was making significant progress in the region, pending Haftar’s orders to end the military action.

The army is allied with the eastern-based government, as Libya is politically divided between two governments in the east and the west, both competing for legitimacy.