[Libya Herald] Benghazi residents say they are worried about 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...
forces now deployed at a check-point within striking distance of Benina airbase.
The newly operating checkpoint, which lies at the crossroads between Benina Airport, Hay Salam and their stronghold of Laithi, is one one of the Islamists' gains following heavy festivities in Benghazi in July.
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...
's presence in and around Benghazi is now almost entirely limited to Benina Airport with Saiqa Special Forces Commander Wanis Bukhamada and other prominent figures from the brigade now operating out of Tobruk, an Operation Dignity stronghold.
Air Force Brigadier-General Saqr Adam Geroushi, the commander of Operation Dignity's airforces told the Libya Herald that Benina Airport was highly prized and would signify a major gain by the Islamists if they were able to take it. The airport is the base of Dignity forces' helicopter unit.
Benina Airport was closed in July after four rockets struck its newly refurbished international departures lounge. The Airport and the Airport Road were previously a flashpoint for festivities between Ansar al-Sharia and Saiqa. The homes of residents in the area came under bombardment from shelling on several occasions during fighting between the two sides.
A bigwig within Operation Dignity has indicated that Saiqa Special Forces faces a series of serious internal challenges. He claimed the group had been "infiltrated" by thugs and drug users and was, despite the work of some committed members, no longer fit for purpose.
Human Rights Solidarity-Libya has published a report detailing a number of human rights
...which often include carefully measured allowances of
freedomat the convenience of the state...
abuses by the group after the bodies of 35 prisoners, allegedly killed by Saiqa, were found at their base in Buatni after it was stormed by Ansar al-Sharia at the end of July.