By Libya Herald reporters.
Benghazi, 18 February 2017:
Concerns continue for non-combatants trapped in the last terrorist enclave in Ganfouda. Though the fighting has settled down into a siege, one solider, a member of the Saiqa Special Forces, was killed today, but it is not clear how. It is also being said that two terrorist suspects were caught trying to slip through the LNA cordon.
Human Rights Solidarity has warned that “tens” of civilians face starvation as the Libyan National Army surrounds the 12 Buildings in which one army source has said around 70 militants are holding out. It is unclear how many civilians are with them. There have been reports that a number of prisoners is also being held there.
UNSMIL chief Martin Kobler has demanded that the civilians should be allowed to leave immediately. He has also said that anyone detained by the LNA should be well-treated and brought before the judiciary.
Last year before the fight for Ganfouda reached its climax, UNSMIL and some human rights organisations protested at what was feared to be the imminent starvation of hundreds of civilians still with the fighters from the Benghazi Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council and their IS and Ansar Al-Sharia terrorist allies. In the event there were no reports of starvation and LNA troops claimed to have found large quantities of food in Ganfouda buildings they captured.
