By Libya Herald Staff.
Tripoli, 5 October 2013:
Fifteen soldiers were killed and four wounded early this morning during an ambush on a . . .[restrict]checkpoint between Tarhuna and Bani Walid.
The men, a patrol from the Second Brigade of the Military Region of Tripoli, were manning the Rashrash checkpoint at Al-Malti gate between the two towns. The attack occurred at around 6.15am, Ministry of Defence spokesman Adbulrazaq Al-Shebabe told the Libya Herald. He said that some of the assailants came on foot while others arrived in five vehicles.
“We can only describe the attackers as criminals who are against rebuilding the army, the new state of Libya, and the 17 February Revolution,” Shebabe said. He added that the assailants were very professional and recovered their injured and dead so they could not be recognised or identified.
The identity of the attackers is not known but a local man posted a message on Facebook saying that, when he was praying at the Al-Malti mosque, some thirty men, described as having long beards, entered the building. They prayed and then quickly left, he wrote. A few minutes later he heard the sound of gunfire as the checkpoint was attacked.
The Ministry of Defence has taken necessary measures to maintain security, Shebahe said, adding that a force from the ministry would be deployed to the area in a bid to arrest the perpetrators. [/restrict]
