Libya : first clashes between the army and a Salafi group in Benghazi

Libya : first clashes between the army and a Salafi group in Benghazi

The Monde.fr with AFP

Violent clashes opposed Monday special forces of the Libyan army and Ansar Al- Sharia , the main Salafist jihadist group in the first confrontation of its kind in Benghazi in eastern Libya , killing at least five people dead and more than twenty wounded .
" A bloody confrontation is taking place between our forces and those of Ansar Al- Sharia since the early hours " of the day , said Colonel Al- Zwei Miloud spokesman Special Forces . According to Al -Jala hospital in Benghazi , four soldiers and a civilian were killed and 23 people injured, including ten civilians. The army has declared a state of alert and called on all soldiers to join their units , said a security official . We know the number of victims on the side of Ansar al- Sharia , whose members treat their wounded in a clinic they control for the moment.

The clashes erupted after a patrol special forces was near the headquarters of Ansar Al- Sharia was targeted by an attack , said Colonel Zwei . "The army retaliated , triggering clashes with all types of weapons," the first of its kind between the army and the powerful Islamist group , said the officer .




RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK AGAINST AMERICAN CONSULATE

Other clashed thereafter the two camps in other parts of the city , especially near a charitable clinic belonging to Ansar Al- Sharia in the Al- Selmani neighborhood, he has said. Explosions and gunfire were heard since the morning in several districts of the city.

Ansar Al- Sharia ( " supporters of Islamic law " in Arabic) was born after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Its military arm is formed by former rebels who fought loyalist forces in 2011. The Salafist Group , pointed in assassinations of judges and members of the security forces , is believed to be particularly responsible for the attack against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in September 2012 which caused the death of the ambassador and three other Americans. Ansar Al- Sharia , however, had denied any involvement .

The organization advocates Sharia as the sole source of legislation in Libya and requires justice applied immediately. To enforce its claims, the movement is based on a procedure which includes charity work , social and preaching. Advantage of the security vacuum after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Ansar Al- Sharia law is in particular in the east of the country where it controls neighborhoods in Benghazi , Derna and Sirte , according to local sources. In Benghazi eg katiba (brigade ) of Ansar Al- Sharia always control the western entrance to the city.