DUBAI, August 18 (RIA Novosti) – Clashes between pro-government forces and former rebel groups, as well as Islamic extremists, resumed in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire, Sky News Arabia reported.
Unidentified fighter jets shelled residential areas of the city on Monday. No casualties or damages have been reported. None of the sides have claimed responsibility for the raid.
The country's security services suggested that the month-long shelling, coming from Misratah and Zintan, could be aimed at suppressing new firing points.
Libya has been in the midst of political turmoil since 2011 following the overthrow of country’s long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi. Clashes among a large number of armed groups are ongoing in the country, taking over whole districts. The militants possess a significant arsenal of weapons, including heavy artillerythat was seized from government forces during the 2011 uprising.
Since mid-July, violent clashes have claimed 102 lives, with 452 people injured in Libya’s capital Tripoli. At the same period of time, 77 people were killed and 289 injured in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city.
