By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 14 March 2104:
The bodies of five soldiers killed in Sirte on Wednesday were taken to Benghazi for [restrict]an autopsy and identification yesterday ahead of burial. All were members of the Zawia Martyrs Brigade.
For were killed when a heat-seeking missile hit their vehicle. According to a source at the Benghazi Medical Centre, the five had been burned beyond recognition.
They have been named as Captain Omar Ramadan Al-Manfi, Lieutenant Ibrahim Abdelsalam Mahjoub and three NCOs: Saleh Attargi, Abdel-Aziz Muftah Abdel-Maula Wahishi and Ahmed Bahlouq Aggouri. All were from Benghazi except Captain Al-Manfi who was from Tobruk.
It is not known who fired the missile.
The Benghazi brigade, which is attached to the Saiqa force, was assigned to ensure stability in Sirte in early 2012 but has itself become the target of remaining Qaddafi supporters and others. The town is regarded as the third most dangerous in the country.
Last week five members of a group of suspected Qaddafi loyalists accused to being behind a number of assassinations in the town were arrested.
Ansar Al-Sharia has also become a major power in the town
The latest rebuff to Sirte’s struggle for peace and stability was the arrival last week of Ibrahim Jadhran forces who took over the airbase to the south of the town. They were then were forced out on Tuesday by Misrata’s Libya Shield Central Brigade, deployed there on the orders of the Chief of Staff.
When they arrived, they were said to have mistakenly attacked the Zawia Martyrs Brigade headquarters but then apologised and left.
Meanwhile, according to the Libyan news agency LANA, a source at the Defence Ministry has said there was an explosion last night in a heavy weapons and ammunition depot in Sirte. No one was reported injured. [/restrict]
