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By Libya Herald Staff.
24 October 2014:
The mountain town of Kikla could . . .[restrict]be under the full control of the Libyan National Army (LNA) within days, according to the Commander of the Military Operations in the Western Region.
“The majority of Kikla [area] is under the control of the Libyan army, and we could secure total control within two to three days,” Brigadier Idris Madi told the Libya Herald. He added, however, that because of the difficult mountain terrain and the way the town was spread out, the operation could take longer to complete.
“We are fighting groups in different places there and are trying to deal with each place as a separate entity,” Madi said. He added that it was known to the Libyan Army that these groups included several affiliated either with the Libya Dawn operation or Ansar Al-Sharia.
Echoing advice given to residents of Benghazi, he advised local people not to allow terrorists or militias to use their homes as hideaways. “The cooperation with local people is very important and they need to protect themselves,” Madi said, adding that the LNA had “great support” from civilians in many of the Western mountain towns as well as in Tripoli. “We have to keep social cohesion among the people and many in the Western Mountains are cooperating with the Libyan army.”
The military forces were advancing gradually, to avoid heavy fighting in residential areas, which could result in civilian casualties, he explained.
The LNA itself had not sustained heavy casualties so far, with the injured being taken to hospitals in Tunisia for treatment, Madi said. Those fighting for Libya Dawn were believed to have suffered heavier losses but, he claimed, the opposition was always keen to withhold such information.
Once Kikla was secured, LNA forces would wait for orders from higher ranks regarding its next move, Madi said. However, the ultimate goal of the military operations in the Western region was to keep progressing until Tripoli was retaken from Libya Dawn.
“We will move forward until we liberate the capital,” Madi said. “The Libyan army is willing to protect all areas that are in need of protection, and this will be provided by the military, not by Libya Shield.”
Since the latest wave of fighting began in the Western Mountain region in early September, the LNA has been slowly advancing. As well as parts of Kikla, the towns of Kasarat, Shalghouda and Abusheba were now under control of the Libyan Army and supporting units, Madi said. The suburbs of Aziziya – the largest town in the Wershafana area – have also been secured.
“What remains are pockets of people, especially in areas close to Warsherfana and the Western Mountain and the Libyan army is dealing with such pockets,” Madi said. “These are not necessarily members of Libya Dawn but they are smaller groups from other areas that support Libya Dawn operations.”
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