Although a special committee led by Mustafa Abdeljalil, the former head of the National Transitional Council (NTC), has tried to bring the Misratans and Zintanis together, there is little sign that either is ready to compromise. Indeed, there is talk that the Misratan and Islamist brigades are preparing for a renewed push against the Zintanis. Thus, the fighting is set to continue, and perhaps worsen.
Islamist militants launched a major assault against Special Forces units in Benghazi this week, killing 50 Special Forces personnel. These Islamist militants, including the Rafallah Sahati brigade and Ansar Al-Sharia, have coalesced under a new umbrella, the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC). The development indicates that the groups are co-ordinating in a more organised and systematic fashion. This BRSC announced this week that it was forming a new ‘social council’ to be responsible for running and securing the Benghazi, serving as the main point of contact with the House of Representatives.
A Maltese oil worker, Martin Galea, was kidnapped from the suburbs of Tripoli on 17 July. His whereabouts and the identity of his captors are still unknown. However, on 26 July the Maltese government said it had received unconfirmed information that he was still alive.