By Libya Herald reporters.
Benghazi, 14 August 2015:
Islamic State (IS) fighters today claimed to have captured an army command post near Benghazi’s Sabri . . .[restrict]district.
They posted pictures on social media which apparently showed two soldiers dead in an operations room after the attack on the Bu Ashreen Building. Alongside these they showed shots of a tank and two white vehicles, claiming that these had been captured.
The assault appears to have taken troops by surprise. It is unclear if the building was retaken in a counterattack. However, further advances by the attackers stopped after airstrikes by three air force jets, the most that have so far been deployed in Benghazi on a single raid.
Sabri remains invested by the army, though supplies continue to get through to IS and its allies via the beach.
However the Libya Herald has been told that according to eight Libya Shield fighters captured by the army this week, the situation inside the enclave is increasingly desperate. This applies no less to a handful of families still in the heavily-damaged district, either because they are unwilling or unable to escape.
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