By Aimen Amzein.
Benghazi, 11 August 2014:
Sixty-three members of Saiqa Special Forces were killed and 200 wounded in Benghazi in . . .[restrict]nine days of heavy fighting at the end of July, according to a senior member of the brigade.
He told the Libya Herald that the massive losses were incurred between 21 – 30 July as February 17 Brigade, Ansar Al-Sharia and their allies pushed Saiqa from their main base in the Buatni district.
He said that the dead were martyrs for Libya and offered condolences, thanking their families for their service to the nation and the city of Benghazi.
He added that the figures did not include losses on the other side. He said while he could not say how many had been killed amongst the Islamists, he was sure dozens had died.
Dozens of civilians were also killed in the crossfire during the intense fighting. The clashes, which were amongst the heaviest seen in Benghazi since the revolution, where characterised by indiscriminate shelling and bombing in and around the predominately residential area of Buatni.
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