By Jamal Adel.
Tripoli, 23 March 2014:
The Hassan Al-Jaber Brigade pulled out of Ajdabiya’s Haniya military camp last night after . . .[restrict]Ibrahim Jadhran agreed that it could take its weapons and equipment back to Beida. It took its 100 vehicles after Maghreb prayers.
On Friday evening, Jadhran’s forces clashed with the brigade, trying to capture the equipment and vehicles when it tried to withdraw.
Two other units opposed to Jadhran – the Jazeera Martyr Brigade and Libya Shield forces both mainly comprised of members of the Zwai tribe and from Ajdabiya –remain at the camp.
“Yesterday, the Cyrenaica Defence Force compelled the Beida-based Ali Hassan Al-Jabber Brigade headed by Colonel Mohamed Bughfayer to withdraw from Ajdabiya”, Mohammed Al-Shuwaiby, a senior member of the force told the Libya Herald this morning.
He said that the Cyrenaican forces were pressurising the other two military units in the base to surrender.
In yesterday’s clashes between Jedhran’s forces and the brigades, it is reported that two people were killed in the crossfire.
Local civil society activist Abdulbaset Al-Nazal said today that “things are calm but very tense at the moment, but two civilians were killed and more than four houses were damaged in the clashes”. He accused a fifth armed force known as the Istanbul Brigade based in the Military War Museum of firing at Red Crescent officials treating those wounded the fighting. “Miraculously no one was injured,” he said.
Elders and mediators have working to in prevent further violence break out.
Al-Shuwaiby meanwhile accused the Hassan Al-Jaber Brigade of betrayal. They were meant to be on the same side as the Jadhran forces, he claimed.
“The Jaber brigade was meant to join Cyrenaica’s forces based in the Red Valley (Wadi Al-Ahmar) on the road to Sirte, but they turned out to be planning to hit Cyrenaica’s forces from behind. That has been proved by them staying at Ajdabiya rather than heading directly to the Red Valley,” Al-Shuwaiby said.
“At the moment, the Cyrenica’s defense forces of 400-armed vehicles are besieging the Jazeera brigade and Deraa units in Haniya military camp, as well as the Istanbul brigade in the separate military camp known formally as the Military War Museum,” he added.
“Efforts are being made by the Commander of Cyrenaica’s Defence Forces, Colonel Bashir Budafera, and the head of Megharba tribe, Salah Al-Ataiwish, to solve the problem and defuse the growing tension in the town.”
Clashes in Ajdabiya broke out two days ago, when the Hassan Al-Jaber Brigade from Beida along with the local, largely Zwai, Al-Jazeera Brigade and Libya Shield units moved into the Haniya base.
They had been ordered to the area by the head of the Petroleum Facilities Guards, Idris Bukhamada. [/restrict]
