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By Libya Herald reporters.
Benghazi, 14 May 2017:
There have been fierce clashes in Benghazi’s Suq Al-Hout district today as the Libyan National Army (LNA) continued to assault militant positions. There has also been a series of airstrikes mainly on Sabri, the city’s second surviving Islamist stronghold and an explosion at an LNA arms dump.
The LNA has given no details of the fighting nor of casualties on either side. Roads surrounding both the besieged downtown districts remain closed to civilian traffic and troops have been warning residents close to the front lines to leave their homes.
Meanwhile there are unconfirmed reports of a substantial explosion in the south of the city at a Saiqa Special Forces weapons dump. An army source said the blast at Nuwagiya had been caused by the heat. Yet munitions are often poorly stored and in the past this has caused other explosions.
However, sabotage cannot be ruled out. On the eve of the third anniversary celebrations of the start of the Dignity (Karama) operation against Benghazi’s militant Islamists, some sort of attempted spectacular attack is expected.
