No Result
View All Result
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Locals mourn landmark Benghazi building demolished in battle for Suq Al-Hout

byMichel Cousins
April 28, 2017
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Locals mourn landmark Benghazi building demolished in battle for Suq Al-Hout

 

By Libya Herald reporter.

zxc
The remains of the Safina building (Photo: Social media)

Benghazi, 28 April 2017:

In a city that has seen much destruction in the past three years, the deliberate demolition yesterday of Benghazi’s landmark Safina building, on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street in the centre of the city, has caused particular sadness and anger among locals.

“I’ve lost everything”, lamented resident who had to flee his apartment in the iconic building two years ago because of the dangers in the area. “I thought I’d be leaving for just a week or two, so I left everything there – books, furniture, clothes. It’s all gone.”

RELATED POSTS

Libyan Italian Forum concludes with the signing of 98 MoUs

More than 100 business representatives arrive in Benghazi for the Libyan Italian Forum for Development and Reconstruction

“I’m very sad and angry,” said Abdullah from Leithi district. “We grew up with this building downtown. Now it’s vanished forever.” Similar views came from Ashraf, living further along in Jamal Street. “It’s very sad. It was one of Benghazi’s best-known buildings”.

According to locals, the building was blown up by the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shoura Council (BRSC) militants in order to give them a clear line of fire from Suq Al-Hout which lies behind the now vanished edifice.  The LNA also blames the militants. According to a Saiqa Special Forces spokesman, the building was deliberated targeted and destroyed.

Possibly aware of the resentment in Benghazi at its loss, supporters of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shoura Council (BRSC) are now claiming that the ship-shaped apartment building (“safina” means ship in Arabic), erected in the 1960s, was bombed by LNA aircraft. They do not say, however, why the LNA would want to do so.

The Safina building in 2010 (Photo: Maher Al-Awami)
The Safina building in 2010 (Photo: Maher Al-Awami)

Over the past couple of years, the Safina building had suffered as a result of the conflict, becoming pockmarked by bullet fire and the occasional shell but until now there had been no attempt to erase it altogether.

No everyone is upset at its loss, though. “It’s just a building,” said another Jamal Street resident. “We’ve lost it but what about the soldiers we lose in the field? You cannot compare losing it to the loss of our soldiers fighting the terrorists.”

The destruction of the building came – possibly in response – as Saiqa Special Forces announced a new offensive against the militants in Suq Al-Hout and Sabri. LNA air strikes and shelling of the two areas have intensified.

On Wednesday, the militants destroyed a bridge crossing the canal into Sabri district from Sidi Younis in what appears to be another strategic demolition – in this case to prevent access into their eastern Benghazi stronghold.

It was the third bridge attack by the militants this month.

Tags: BenghazifeaturedLibya

Related Posts

Libya Herald exclusive: Responding to the prime minister’s call yesterday to the private sector and banks to do more, leading businessman Husni Bey responds
Business

Op-Ed: Reputational Damage Is Worse Than Losing Money

July 2, 2025
Libyan Russian Economic Forum starts in St. Petersburg
Libya

Libyan Russian Economic Forum starts in St. Petersburg

June 27, 2025
MoI establishes Elections Security and Protection Department
Libya

Aldabaiba and Menfi stress use of polling feedback to establish consensus basis for constitutional process: report and analysis

June 26, 2025
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

“There is no state built by gangs and criminality, it’s built by engineers, youth, consultants, security, police and army”: Aldabaiba

June 23, 2025
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

187 new security posts taken over from militias – PM declares victory for the state as all vital Tripoli sites come under its exclusive control for the first time since 2011

June 19, 2025
Interior Ministry’s Diplomatic Missions Protection personnel receiving training in Ukraine
Libya

The Interior Ministry had spent LD 50 billion in 13 years with no result: Acting Interior Minister Trabelsi

June 17, 2025
Next Post

Sirte mayor receives assurances from Gansu that PC will aid his town

Libya’s business community to meet in an attempt to offer solutions to its economic problems

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Libya Herald exclusive: Responding to the prime minister’s call yesterday to the private sector and banks to do more, leading businessman Husni Bey responds

    Op-Ed: Reputational Damage Is Worse Than Losing Money

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • All imports into Libya must be paid for through official bank transactions

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • A 247,000-bpd oil production increase would achieve US$ 6 billion annually to enhance ability to meet FX demand, maintain strength of LD and achieve economic balance: CBL ‎

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libya’s economy showed recovery in 2024, remained resilient despite reliance on hydrocarbons and ongoing political and security instability: World Bank

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • CBL demands imports are conducted through official banking instruments and the elimination of the FX black market

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

A 247,000-bpd oil production increase would achieve US$ 6 billion annually to enhance ability to meet FX demand, maintain strength of LD and achieve economic balance: CBL ‎

Op-Ed: Reputational Damage Is Worse Than Losing Money

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.