7 Libya soldiers killed in attack near Benghazi
At least seven Libyan soldiers have been killed in clashes with militants loyal to Daesh terror group southwest of the eastern city of Benghazi, a military source says.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) troops, which supports the internationally recognized government, were killed on Monday as they tried to fend off an attack on their post eight km (five miles) southwest of Benghazi, Reuters reported.
Daesh militants were said to have been seeking to capture tanks in the town of Annawaghia.
"The forces of the Libyan National Army confronted the militants early this morning and forced them to withdraw," the source said.
The LNA is led by Khalifa Haftar, a general under slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who fights for the internationally recognized government in Libya.
LNA forces have been fighting an alliance of militants and former anti-Gaddafi rebels for a year to take control Benghazi.
Libya is grappling with a worsening security crisis as it currently has two rival governments, one controlling the capital Tripoli, and the other, the country’s internationally recognized government, governing the cities of Bayda and Tobruk.
In an attempt to broker a peace deal in Libya, the United Nations has drafted a preliminary agreement for a national power-sharing administration. The recognized government has signed up to this; however, the rival government in Tripoli has so far rejected it.
Libya plunged into chaos after the ouster Gaddafi in 2011, which gave rise to a patchwork of heavily-armed militias and deep political divisions.
The presence of Daesh militants has further complicated the situation in the violence-wracked country.
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