Dec 27 – 2 Jan: BRSC fighters flee from Benghazi to Derna following purge by LNA

Jan 2, 2018 | Other Jihadi Actors

On 28 December, the Libyan National Army (LNA) announced the full purge of jihadist forces from Benghazi. This follows on from clashes, arrests and airstrikes on the Sidi Khrebish district in central Benghazi by LNA affiliated forces in the last week. The announcement comes six months after the LNA initially declared the city liberated.

On 29 December, the city of Derna reportedly received some of the retreating jihadists affiliated with the Free Libya Martyrs Brigade, a militia which is part of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC) and Ansar al-Sharia coalition that has been fighting the LNA since 2014. Although many local sources inside the city deny the reports, the brigade leader, Mohammed Sallabi, issued the statement on the internet saying that the withdrawal was necessary to save the remaining lives of the jihadists.