By Hadi Fornaji.
Tunis, 29 July 2017:
There was a massive turnout today in Suq Al-Khamis Emsihel, between Tarhouna and Gasr Ben Gashir, for the funerals of four young men from the town killed yesterday in clashes with Tahouna’s notorious Kani brigade. The fighting was over control of the town’s cement works.
While it was taking place yesterday, there were reports of airstrikes over Tarhouna. A camp where the brigade keeps its tanks and heavy weaponry was said to have been hit and two people killed.
An official from the air academy in Misrata has denied that any aircraft based there were used in the attak. It is thought that an Egyptian air force plane may have been involved.
The fighting at Suq Al-Khamis started on Thursday evening after a group of local youth earlier in the day forced members of the Kani brigade to leave the local cement works, one of Libya’s largest.
The brigade took control of it two years ago, and have reportedly been pocketing all the profits. These are said to be worth LD 100,000 a month.
Having been ejected on Thursday morning, the Kani brigade returned on Thursday evening with tanks, armed vehicles and other heavy weaponry. Fighting then continued until around midday yesterday. According to local sources, in addition to the four local youths killed, six others were captured and taken to Tarhouna. Some were said to have been wounded.
Suq Al-Khamis today was quiet, with the Kani brigade fully in control of it and the cement works.
