11 killed in Libya fighting between Ajdabiya residents, Qaeda
Eleven people have been killed in fighting in the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya between armed residents and fighters of al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar al-Sharia, the Red Crescent. Witnesses said clashes had raged since Wednesday in the city, which is controlled by the internationally recognised government based in the east of the country.
Red Crescent official Mansour Ati told AFP on Friday that civilians, including children, were among the dead, whose bodies had been taken to the city’s hospital.
It was not possible to say how many of the jihadists may have been killed, as Ansar al-Sharia does not take its casualties to the hospital.
Ajdabiya, 162 km south of Benghazi, is located in a major oil-producing area. Since November, government personnel there have been targeted by a campaign of assassinations. The Islamic State jihadist group, which controls late dictator Moamer Kadhafi’s hometown of Sirte, 360 km to the west, have been trying to extend their influence to Ajdabiya.AFP
