By Libya Herald staff.
Benghazi, 12 April 2015:
The Libyan National Army (LNA) says it captured 12 Ansar Al-Sharia fighters today and killed . . .[restrict]several others in Benghazi’s Hawari distract as major fighting continued there, in Leithi and in the southern district of Garyounis. The fighting included airstrikes by LNA planes in Hawari and Garyounis.
No firing, however, was heard in the city centre districts of Suq Al-Hout and Sabri.
Casualty figure are unknown. Benghazi Medical Centre told the Libya Herald this afternoon that no LNA soldiers had been brought in, either dead or wounded, today or Saturday.
According to the LNA, it is gaining ground in Hawari but progress has been slow because of mines deployed in the area. An army source was reported saying that the district’s cement factory was in sight but forces were not moving in until it had been swept for mines and booby traps.
The Ansar fighters who have been captured are reported by the source to be Libyans and to have have surrendered because they were “tired and hungry”. They had had “no orders from their leaders” who were, it was claimed, no longer on the front line. One of those who had surrendered, had apparently done so because he “did not want to take orders from Algerians”. He reportedly said that the Ansar commanders were mainly foreign.
There are not further details about the fighting but airstrikes were continuing in Hawari and Garyounis late this afternoon.
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