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| Africa North |
| Three killed and three in critical condition following Benghazi double suicide bombing |
| 2014-07-24 |
| [Libya Herald] Three members of Saiqa Special Forces ...Libya's elite army unit, insofar as they have one, formed from a mixture of paratroopers and commandos. The group emerged from a militia with the same name in 2010. It now numbers a few thousand and reports to the Ministry of Defence. It deployed in Benghazi in an attempt to control the carnage. As a result, it has been attacked and several of its officers murdered. The force is popular in Benghazi for its stance against Ansar al-Sharia group... were killed in Benghazi yesterday evening and three others critically injured after a double suicide kaboom at their camp in Buatni. Head of Saiqa Special Forces Investigations Unit Fadel Al-Hassi told the Libya Herald two cars laden with explosives had stormed the gates at Saiqa's main base, a separate premises to the 319 Brigade camp which was attacked by Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libyaand Yemen, with the Libyan versions currently most active. Tunisia's Shabaab al-Tawhid started out an Ansar al-Sharia and changed its name in early 2014. It still uses the old name now and then, probably because the stationery's not all used up and the web site hasn't expired yet... on Monday. He said perimeter guards managed to shoot one of the bombers who continued driving some 200 metres into the camp before exploding his device on a football pitch used for recreation. Hassi estimated that the bombs would have been around nine kilograms each in weight. He said it was unclear whether the second attacker, who followed behind, had detonated his bomb or whether the force of the first kaboom had triggered the second. He explained that the attack took place just after Maghreb prayers as the brigade members were breaking their fast. He referred to the attackers as "sons of dogs". Hassi said a total of 23 members of Saiqa had been killed at 319 Brigade's camp in festivities which ended yesterday. |
| Posted by:Fred |