Other – 19 January 2015

Jan 19, 2015 | Other Jihadi Actors

Fighting continues unabated in Benghazi, particularly in the eastern districts of al-Sabri (near the maritime port) and al-Sulmani, where medium and heavy weapons were employed on both sides throughout the week. Operation Dignity (OD) fighters reportedly carried out house-by-house searches in districts sympathetic with Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC) forces. Furthermore, fighting intensified in the Qunfada area west of Benghazi, where BRSC forces retain control of the al-Marisa maritime port. This represents, according to OD spokesman Mohammed al-Hijazi, the only remaining supply line for BRSC fighters in Benghazi. Throughout the week, Libyan National Army (LNA) naval and aerial forces aligned with OD also carried out attacks on naval vessels suspected of carrying supplies for BRSC fighters. In particular, an airstrike targeted an unidentified fishing trawler, allegedly carrying fuel and gasoline to BRSC forces holed up in the city’s main port, and a naval attack targeting a vessel approaching the al-Marisa port in Qunfada.