Pro-Haftar forces, Daesh clash in NE Libya; two killed

By Jihad Nasr

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) - Two fighters loyal to Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar were killed Tuesday while reportedly taking part in a mopping-up operation against the Daesh terrorist group.

“A police station in Aqila, located roughly 120 kilometers west of the city of Ajdabiya, came under attack by Daesh terrorists at dawn Tuesday,” read a statement issued by the Ajdabiya Security Directorate.

“The terrorists ransacked the police station and we lost radio contact with all police personnel present at the time of the attack,” the directorate added.

A military source told Anadolu Agency that, following the attack on the police station, pro-Haftar forces in Ajdabiya had carried out a counter-attack against the terrorists.

The source, insisting on anonymity, said at least two pro-Haftar fighters had been killed -- and another three injured -- in subsequent clashes with Daesh militants.

“The fighting remains ongoing in Al-Jufra province, where we believe the attackers are based,” the source said.

Police stations and security checkpoints in and around Libya’s northeastern city of Ajdabiya remain the target of frequent militant attacks, which have often led to the death of security personnel.

Libya has remained dogged by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the death of longstanding President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

Since then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a host of heavily-armed militia groups.