Islamic State fighters able to flee from some parts of Benghazi Libya

The residents of Benghazi were surprised at the sudden escape of Islamic State and perhaps other militants from the districts of Ganfouda and Al-Sadbri in the city which they had occupied.

Residents had been assured by authorities from Field Marshall Haftar's Libyan National Army and Dignity Operation that the security situation in Benghazi was fully under control. However, his forces have often suffered from attacks. After more than two years of confllict Haftar has insisted that his enemies, the Islamic State and the Benghazi Shura Council are besieged and their complete defeat is imminent. However, the Libya Observer says: "But the escape of an ISIS convoy from Benghazi at the dawn of Thursday has raised several questions on how did they manage to leave the city into the desert without being thwarted despite the presence of several Dignity Operation checkpoints on the way."

The Observer claims that some Dignity Operation media outlets are accusing the Saiga Forces Captain Mahmoud Al-Wirfally, who commands the western front line in Benghazi of coordinating their escape from the two areas. Saiqa has denied the allegation and has called for an investigation into the escape. General Mohammed Al-Manfood Commander of Air Operations said the escape of the IS convoy was a surprise to him saying: “Don’t ask me how did this convoy manage to escape from this siege? There must be strict procedures to identify the facilitators” He said the two areas were under tight siege and anyone trying to escape would be noticed. Colonel Salah Huwaydi confirmed the escape had taken place and that investigations were ongoing. Those who claim there is often coordination between Haftar and IS units see this as another instance where there has been cooperation. In 2015, Islamic militants were able to retreat from Derna and travel 400 kilometers east to Sirte allegedly without interception at Dignity Operation checkpoints although there are varying accounts of what happened.

News reports from Libya are often slanted or represent even false news designed to bolster the case for Haftar, the GNA, or other parties. The anti-Haftar Libya Observer reports that Mohammed Al-Ghasri spokesperson for the Al-Bunyan Al-Marsoos group who drove the IS from Sirte claims information showing coordination between Haftar and the terrorist forces allowing them to escape. Al-Ghasri said: “The Dignity Operation’s spokesman, Ahmed Al-Mismari has spoken with pride when he said that IS terrorists left Benghazi for Bani Walid and his statements are actually not so manly, as his words echo the fact that he was happy to send criminal forces, who explode themselves to kill Libyans, to Bani Walid city.” Al Ghasri said that his group would never allow IS terrorists to obtain a foothold in Bani Walid. Al Ghasri concluded: "Allowing IS militants to pull out from Benghazi is an attempt by Haftar to save his face on the military level as his forces couldn’t bring the battle to an end in a small area like Ganfouda after two years of fighting. Haftar wants to declare an illusionary victory on Benghazi.”

Security forces associated with Haftar were reported fighting terrorists that appear to be some of those who broke out yesterday, east of the town of Ajdabiya. The Libya Herald reports that 21 police and soldiers were killed during the breakout. The breakout is said to have happened during a power blackout that appeared to have been deliberately caused. A GECOL control room engineer was arrested.

Libyan National Army spokesperson, Ahmed Mismari, said that the main terrorist breakout was made by a column of vehicles that traveled south. In the running battle that followed in which aircraft and ground forces were involved all the terrorist trucks were destroyed the last of them just south of Ajdabiya. However, reports since then indicate two soldiers being killed and four wounded in the town of Saunnu east of Ajdabiya. There are conflicting details about two other breakouts. What exactly happened may be difficult to determine but certainly there was some significant breakout from the two areas by the remaining Islamic State fighters and perhaps some other radicals as well.

General Haftar militarizing eastern Libya

General Khalifa Haftar and allied officials have carried out a series of actions in eastern Libya that have replaced civilian officials with army commanders.

The first move was made some time ago in which the mayor of Benghazi, the largest city in eastern Libya, was replaced by Colonel Ahmed Larabi and the council was suspended. The appointment was made by the Chief of Staff of the House of Representatives(HoR) government, who is the military governor of the eastern region, Abdelrazig Al-Nathori, an ally of Haftar. Later Al-Nathori replaced the mayor of Ajdabiya, Salim Jodran, brother of the head of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG)Ibrahim. He was replaced by retired colonel Embarek Al-Manafi, as commander. Al-Manafi is a supporter of Haftar-s Operation Dignity launched in May of 2014 to clear Libya of Islamists, which includes the militia groups supporting the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). The Jodran's support the GNA while Haftar opposes it. Now Al-Nathori has acted a third time replacing the elected mayor of Al-Kufra by Colonel Saleh Al- Zarrouq.

Haftar is an admirer of the Egyptian president El-Sisi who in turn is supportive of Haftar. In a sign of the close relation between Egypt and the eastern HoR government Al-Nathori said:"Because we are engaged in internal battles and frontlines, we tasked the Egyptian army forces to protect the joint borders from the sea to the Libyan-Sudanese borders." He said that the Libyan National Army (LNA) of the HoR headed by Haftar, and the Egyptian army are as one.

Nathori warned as well that LNA forces would bomb any vessel that was not authorized to load oil by the eastern-based National Oil Company of the HoR government. The eastern NOC is not internationally recognized. He also claimed that the PFG would be pushed out of the ports that they occupy. He also said: “The Presidential Guard announced by the Presidential Council of the UN-proposed government is one of the anti-bodies to the HoR’s army because Al-Sirraj has no right to form a military unit when he is illegitimate and his government failed to gain the vote of confidence from the HoR.” Faiez Serra is head of the Presidential Council (PC) of the GNA and PM.

In another move, Al-Nathori appointed a five man committee to take over Libyan Airlines. The HoR government has also shut down a number of Benghazi radio stations.

A spokesperson for Operation Dignity, Ahmed Al-Mismari, directly threatened the UN-backed GNA:"Any institution or city under Sirraj militias would be regarded illegal and must be attacked. The formation of Presidential Guard, foreign intervention and Sirte battle are all illegal."

Statements from representatives of Operation Dignity show that no opposition to the movement will be tolerated. Ali Amrouni, an Operation Dignity security chief said in effect that anyone against the operation should be killed: "Any one march in protest against Dignity Operation in any district will be shot dead. This is a death order, I gave my instructions to shoot any Dignity Operation protester."

One would think that the UN and the GNA, as well as human rights organizations would have some comment to make on these threats. Instead, PM Serraj is apparently scheduled to appear before a meeting of the HoR tomorrow. No doubt he will plead with the members to vote confidence in the GNA. There is no sign as yet that the PC of the GNA has come up with a new cabinet as demanded by the HoR. Recent meetings of the PC had as few as 4 of 9 members present.

According to the terms of the Libya Political Agreement (LPA), the HoR is required to pass a vote of confidence in the GNA before its term officially starts. The HoR would then become the legislature of the GNA. However, the GNA has already been operating for some time but without a legislature. Recently a second vote of confidence failed to pass and the GNA was to have come up with a new cabinet within ten days that would then be voted on by the HoR.

Militants attack eastern city of Ajdabiya in Libya

A recently formed militia of militants who fled Benghazi, the Defend Benghazi Brigades, have attacked the industrial zone of the eastern city of Ajdabiya but were reportedly forced to retreat by General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.

The Libyan National Army (LNA) are the armed forces of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR). Neither the HoR nor Haftar recognize the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Haftar refuses to join in any unified command as demanded by the GNA. He considers many of the militia fighting for the GNA against the Islamic State to be his enemies. The Benghazi brigades are said to be led by Islamist Zivadj Belam backed by Ismail Salabi.

Akram Bu Haligha, spokesperson for the LNA's Ajdabiya Operations Room, said a convoy of 40 armed vehicles headed to Ajdabiya from the south. Haligha said: “The 101 brigade of the LNA were involved in a clash against the enemies forces at the area of the Man Made River project.” He accused Ibrahim Jadhran, head of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) of helping the militia to enter Ajdabiya. He further criticized the Brigades for violating the PC demand that different sides should not fight: “Even if we accepted that the Presidency Council is legitimate, this group has violated its [the Presidency Council’s] decision establishing a military operations room from Ajdabiya to Sirte and it prohibited all sides undertaking operations against others.” This is rather ironic since the LNA does not accept the Presidential Council (PC). They would not feel bound by the demand.

Three weeks ago, the Presidency Council set up the Ajdabiya-Sirte Operations Room under the command of Colonel Yousef Ageela. Most of the forces are of PFG men. The order was specifically aimed at the LNA. The Council insists that no military grouping other than forces under its command should undertake any activities in the area. The command has recaptured Ben Jawad, Nufliya, and Harawa from the Islamic State.

The Libya Herald argues that it is unlikely that the PFG would help the Benghazi Defense Brigades (BDB) enter Ajdabiya. The defense minister, Barghathi of the GNA just recently visited the PFG and the group supports the GNA. Barghathi himself spent two years fighting militants in Benghazi. A tweet notes: "GNA's MoD describes "#Benghazi Defense Brigades" which were announced in last 2 days as outlawed terrorist militias. #Libya " However, it should be noted that Barghathi is an opponent of Haftar as is Jodhran of the PFG. The BOB are rumored to be among the forces that were fighting the Islamic State in the offensive against Sirte. The BOB are backed by Sadik Al-Ghariani the Grand Mufti and apparently some business people from Misrata, according to the Herald. Balam has reportedly been active in the eastern part of the Jufra district from which he may have launched his operation.

Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) in a tweet condemned the attack: "Strongly condemn the militia's attack on #Ajdabia #Libya. Calls on PC & HoR leadership to quickly work together to advance political process'." He also used the attack as an argument for creating a unified command of all forces including the LNA, tweeting: "#Ajdabiya. crucial to work on joint comand of army under supreme comand of PC. only united & well equip #Libya can fight militia&terrorists". This is useless pleading. Kobler must know that Haftar refuses to accept the PC as commander in chief, and will not unite with militia loyal to the GNA but whom he considers his enemy.

The Libya Observer gives a rather different report on the attack: The Ajdabia Liberation Operations Chamber announced Saturday that it had taken complete hold of Al-Hay Al-Sinayi (Industrial Block) district in southern Ajdabia backed up by some of Defend Benghazi Brigades’ forces.

The member of Ajdabia Liberation Operations Chamber, Abdullah AL-Maghrabi, told Al-Nabaa TV that their forces seized some military camps previously possessed by Haftar’s militias in Al-Nahir district in southern Ajdabia supported by Defend Benghazi Brigades, confirming that a number of Haftar’s militiamen were killed and others wounded, without giving numbers.Al-Maghrabi claimed that his group had also seized a number of vehicles including armored ones from the Haftar LNA. He said that Ajdabiya Liberation Operations Chamber was formed to free the city from Haftar's Dignity Operation and that now they had been joined by the BOB the two had started the process of freeing the city. Operation DIgnity was begun in May 2014 by Haftar to rid Libya of Islamists, or at least all who were opposed to him. The HoR reacted quickly to the attacks: The Speaker of the Tobruk-based HoR, Aqilah Saleh has announced mobilization of fighters and appointed the HoR’s Chief of Staff as a military commander for the districts between Tobruk and Derna as well as Ben Jawad town, in central Libya.

Slaeh’s mobilization decision comes after an attack carried out by Ajdabia Liberation Operations Chamber in cooperation with Defend Benghazi Brigades on southern Ajdabia, where the HoR is in control of the ground (150 km western Benghazi) on Saturday morning.Note that Ben Jawad is under the control of the PFG who support the GNA unlike the HoR and Haftar. There could be more battles brewing between Haftar and the PFG, not only with militants in Ajdabiya.

Seven Libyan soldiers killed by Islamic State forces in Libyan town of Ajdabiya

At least seven Libyan soldiers were reported killed and five more wounded as Islamic State forces were able to overrun a checkpoint in the town of Ajdabiya, a town near the key oil port of Brega.

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Fifteen other soldiers from the armed forces of the internationally-recognized government in Tobruk are missing and it is not known what happened to do them. The town of Ajdabiya itself is run by a Shura Council of Islamists. Islamic State forces claim they are still in control of the checkpoint and that they captured ammunition and military equipment in their operation. Fighting is still reported in the surrounding area. One official claimed that fighting continued almost 100 kilometres outside of Ajdabiya. Further west of Ajdabiya in the city of Sirte, Islamic State has its largest and strongest presence. The surrounding area is under control of the Tripoli-based GNC government.

In the east, the Islamic State was driven out of the city of Derna, its earlier stronghold, by a competing umbrella group of radical jihadists. However, there seem to be still members of the Islamic State who hold part of the city of Benghazi along with other Islamists. The city is in ruins from continuous battles mounted byGeneral Khalifa Haftar. His Operation Dignity launched in May of 2014 began in Benghazi. The operation is designed to rid Libya of Islamists, including the forces associated with the rival government in Tripoli. Islamists retook most of the city last year but Haftar has taken much of it back into Tobruk-government control.

India reported that five of its citizens were seized near Sirte but two had been released. They were abducted by suspected Islamic State militants. The four were on their way to Tunis to catch a flight home. One of the Indians released was an associate professor at the University of Sirte, a city which is controlled by the Islamic State.

A report from the Libya Observer claims that today clashes broke out between forces loyal to Haftar's Operation Dignity and the Shura Council of Ajdabiya. The Council claimed that the Haftar forces launched an offensive on camps of the group last evening. This happened after the assault claimed by the Islamic State on a military checkpoint of the Libyan army. The Libyan army accused the Shura Council of launching the attack in spite of the Islamic State claim. There are now clashes in the industrial district of the town which killed at least six and wounded 12 others. Operation Dignity forces also bombed positions of the Shura Council in the city and has ordered reinforcements of its forces. The situation appears to be developing along the lines of Benghazi with Haftar's forces facing not only a Shura Council of assorted Islamists but Islamic State fighters at the same time. The UN has demanded that clashes stop and Haftar has even been targeted with sanctions by the EU for not accepting a UN-brokered peace agreement. Neither has the Libya Dawn militia of the Tripoli government.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/at-least-7-libyan-soldiers-killed-by-islamic-state-at-checkpoint/article/439946#ixzz3hrTWw7t0