...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all..., sources close to Haftar's self-styled army reported.
The sources added that the seizure included under construction houses known as Korean Buildings.
"Thugs are seizing control of properties owned by residents at Korean Buildings compound since last November and there has been no social or official condemnation of it." The sources remarked.
They also found it strange that Derna municipality or elders as well as the social media activists had never brought up the seizure of properties for public condemnation only because they fear retaliatory actions by the thieves.
Other sources from Derna said fighters loyal to Haftar had burnt several houses in Jayish street in Wasit al-Blad neighborhood in the city, describing the act as a cleansing campaign.
Other militia fighters had been given the green light by their superiors to enter houses of displaced people and live in them.
Since the advance of Haftar's forces on the city in eastern Libya in last May, many thefts, crimes, murders and kidnappings have been reported, besides the tremendous destruction in one of its archaeological sites.
Derna's fate hasn't been dissimilar to that of Benghazi, which has seen over the years since May 2014 great destruction, murders, kidnaps and displacement, among other atrocities.