By Adam Ali.
Benghazi, 28 March 2015:
The Libyan National Army (LNA) in Benghazi has claimed that that there are no longer any . . .[restrict]militants in the city’s Leithi district. “The Benghazi Revolutionaries Shoura Council [fighters] have retreated to Gwarsha”, an LNA source told the Libya Herald.
“We’ve been hitting their positions in Leithi with heavy artillery today”, the source said. “But there has been no return fire.”
The Benghazi Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council (BRSC) comprises Ansar Al-Sharia and other militant Islamists forces such as the Brega Martyr’s Brigade led by Bouka Al-Araibi, killed earlier this week, the 17 February Brigade, Libya Shield No. 1 Brigade and Rafallah al-Sahati Brigade. It was not thought to include the Islamic State (IS). However, it has been widely reported that over the past few weeks that Ansar forces had pulled out of Leithi and left the fighting there against the LNA to IS.
IS also claimed this week after Bouka’s death that he had joined it.
In another indication that IS and BRSC were drawing together, the latter claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s IS-style suicide bombing in Leithi which killed seven people, five of them LNA soldiers.
If the claim that Leithi is now clear of militants is true, LNA forces are not expected to move into the area quickly. It is thought that there will be many booby traps that will need to be founds and made safe. [/restrict]
