By Moutaz Ali.
Tripoli, 23 July 2014:
Saiqa Special Forces Commander, Wanis Bukhamada, has demanded that reinforcements be sent to Benghazi to help . . .[restrict]crush Ansar Al-Sharia after the attack on the 316 Brigade’s headquarters two days ago.
In a statement last night, Bukhamada demanded that all Libyan military forces in the east as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Army go to Benghazi to defend it against what he called “terrorists”.
He also announced that all Special Forces soldiers were on alert and that they would react strongly to any assault on its camps or on Benghazi.
Calling on all Libyans to take a stand against “these terrorist groups”, he also urged the government to take a firm position regarding them. Moreover, he demanded that the “real revolutionaries” also clearly define their position in light of the attacks.
What had happened to the 316 Brigade was an act of terror, he said.
The attack was the third against army facilities, he added, noting that the group had previously attacked the Benghazi Security Directorate and the Zawia Martyrs Brigade headquarters.
“We are preparing ourselves to respond rightly,” said Bukhamada. “We hereby announce that we are launching a full-blown operation against these “terrorists”. Forces from the Libyan Army, as well as members of the Petroleum Facility Guards (PFG) are currently passing through Tobruk and Beida to join us in the fight for Benghazi.” [/restrict]
