The bombing of Libya’s oldest historic Sufi tomb of Sidi Al-Wushish in Derna, Benghazi, by an unknown group (believed to be Ansar Al-Sharia) last Wednesday, may have provided an additional reason for retired General Khalifa Hafter to march his “Libyan National Army” troops to “rid Benghazi of extremist Islamists”, as he put it. General Hafter’s offensive was met by the 17 February Revolutionaries in control of Benghazi. The confrontation led to the defection of a nearby air base, from which aircraft took off and bombarded the February Revolutionaries’ main base in the town. The confrontation left over 75 killed as pro-Hafter militia also stormed the General National Congress in Tripoli. Abdallah Thinni, Libya’s Minister of Defence, called Hafter’s move a military coup attempt and instructed the army to neutralise Hafter’s troops. The crisis took a grave twist when Wanis Bukhmada, Commander of Special Forces Brigade in Benghazi announced, on Monday, that he had joined General. Hafter’s “Dignity Operation”.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/05/14/explosion-at-historic-tomb-in-derna/#axzz32CtGnhLq http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/05/20/benghazis-saiqa-special-forces-join-hafters-dignityoperation/#axzz32CtGnhLq
