By Maha Suliman.
Benghazi, 13 December 2014:
The Libyan National Army has responded strongly to today’s bid by forces allied to Libya Dawn . . .[restrict]to gain control of the country’s oil export terminals, an air force commander said tonight.
Brigadier Saqr Adam Geroushi told the Libya Herald that a series of airstrikes had considerably weakened a convoy of armed groups affiliated to Libya Dawn that today appeared to herald the start of a military offensive aimed at gaining control of the terminals.
Some 250 vehicles, which had been identified as approaching the oil export terminals of Sidra, Brega and Ras Lanuf, were targeted and most destroyed, Geroushi claimed. He added that 40 of these vehicles were in the Beni Jawad area around 150 km from Sirte.
Erstwhile federalist leader Ibrahim Jadhran, who still wields substantial control over the terminals which he blockaded for nearly a year, did not participate in today’s clashes, he said. “He is neither with the LNA nor Ansar, at present he is just protecting the oil fields independently.” [/restrict]
