By Libya Herald reporters.
Benghazi, 4 July 2017:
The Libyan National Army (LNA) has today taken further ground in Sabri but at the cost of five more dead soldiers and a number of wounded.
Since Monday, at least 16 troops have died and 36 been injured according to a medical source talking to Reuters. The LNA says that 19 militants have been killed.
Today’s thrust involved the Saiqa Special Forces and their commander Wanis Bukhamada was pictured near the front line.
Saiqa spokesman Milad al-Zawi said “The special forces and supporting units from the army advanced today and tightened the grip on the terrorist groups on the Sabri front, gaining control over important sites”.
These included a girl’s school and the Libyan Automobile Club. But the advance continues to be frustrated by snipers and heavily-mined and booby-trapped positions from which the militants have retreated.
Zawi said that one of the buildings taken today had contained a large number of snipers. Their firing had been suppressed by shelling from tanks and self-propelled guns while infantry moved up to attack them.