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By Libya Herald reporters.
Benghazi, 15 May 2017:
Jets roared low across Benghazi tonight as the airforce buzzed Suq Al-Hout where the Libyan National Army (LNA) continues to make slow progress in house-to-house fighting.
Such straight-and-low flying is unusual. Air attacks are normally made from a height. But tonight there were no bomb explosions nor the sound of strafing. The high-speed passes were evidently designed to alarm and intimidate the remaining militants trapped inside the enclave.
While there are no reports of LNA casualties today, the bodies of at least two militants were discovered. One was identified as Ihab Al-Zuway, said to be a member of Ansar Al-Sharia, the other as Salahaddin Azzouz, whose nickname was “Talha” (Big Tree).
As the LNA advances the full extent of the damage to the historic Suq Al-Hout district is becoming apparent. Hardly a building is untouched and some, such as the old internal security headquarters, built by the Italians in the 1930s, are largely destroyed.
As ever, the militants are leaving behind improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and booby traps. Two discovered today were bottled gas canisters from which a wire could be seen running.
