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By Ajnadin Mustafa
Tripoli, 24 January 2015:
The Zintanis are claiming to have gained ground yesterday in a surprise attack at Suweniya south . . .[restrict]west of Ajilat. They claim that ten Libya Dawn fighters from Zawia were killed in the operation and three wounded. The Zintanis now claim to control Suweniya and the nearby area of Aghrabiya.
There have been light clashes in the area today.
There has been no official comment from either side about yesterday’s incident, but pictures posted on social media show what are claimed as destroyed Libya Dawn vehicles in the area. Appearing to confirm this, a source in the Zintan Operations Room told the Libya Herald that six vehicles had been destroyed. He added that the bodies of the Dawn fighters had been taken to Zintan. The three wounded men, however, had been freed and sent back to Zawia because Zintan had adequate medical supplies to treat them.
Meanwhile, Zintan, the Warshefana and Ghariyan have exchanged a large number of prisoners as part of the moves towards a rapprochement between the three. A total of 71 men were released yesterday following mediation by elders from Al-Asabaa – 46 from Ghariyan held by Zintan and 11 Zintanis and 14 Warshefana held by Ghariyan.
The move coincides with a exchange of seven prisoners the same day between Ajdabiya and Misrata brokered by the their local Red Crescent branches. Three Misratans and a Zawian, reportedly members of Central Libya Shield, were released in exchange for three members of the Petroleum Facilities Guards from Ajdabiya. This too is being seen against the background of the moves by Libya Shield Central to support the national dialogue organised by UNSMIL. [/restrict]
