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By Libya Herald staff.
2 January 2015:
Nineteen people, most of them said to be members of Libyan National Army (LNA) soldiers, were . . .[restrict]reported to have been murdered in southern Libya early this morning by a group of militants. Some are said to have had their throats slit, others to have been shot.
According to as yet unconfirmed reports, a group of militants arrived at around 4.00 am at a building at Sukna, some 18 kilometres west of Hun, used to house guards at local checkpoint, and slit the throats of those who were asleep there. These included two cleaners and a Sudanese cook.
They are then said to have gone to the checkpoint and opened fire on those manning it. Altogether 19 men are reported killed in a three-hour fight, 16 of them soldiers from Battalion 168.
It is from nearby Brak Al-Shatti and linked to the LNA, and the soldiers are all believed to be from the area.
One solider survived the attack, but was wounded. He is reportedly now in hospital but not in a serious condition. Another soldier managed to escape in one of the two Toyota Hilux vehicles belonging to the guards to alert forces in Hun. The other vehicle was allegedly stolen by the attackers.
It is not known who the militants are. But Sukna is at the junction of the Sebha-Hun road and the east-west one that links to the road between Al-Shwerif and Sebha and the checkpoint is of major strategic importance. The Sebha-Hun road has been used as the transit route for jihadists moving between south-west Libya and Derna.
Eight days ago, 14 soldiers were murdered by militants guarding the Gulf power state at Sirte.
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