Libya's General Haftar denies son's capture in Benghazi

A senior officer in the irregular forces loyal to Libya's former general Khalifa Haftar has denied reports that the general's son is being detained by militants in the eastern city of Benghazi.

"Saddam Haftar is currently in eastern Benghazi's al-Abyar district, where commander Haftar is staying," Saqr al-Garoushi, commander of Haftar's air force, told Anadolu Agency on Saturday.

Egyptian media outlets earlier reported that Saddam had been detained by militant groups in Benghazi, which continues to see deadly clashes between forces loyal to Haftar and Islamist militias.

Haftar’s forces carried out three airstrikes east of Benghazi on Friday night, according to a separate statement from Garoushi.

Garoushi announced that his air forces had executed bombing raids against three targets, including one in the suburbs of Benghazi which he said was the location of “weapons for armed groups.”

In the past few months, Libya has been plagued by heavy fighting between a loosely organized army and militias that clung to their weapons following a bloody uprising that ended the autocracy of long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Libyan capital Tripoli has also been the scene of fierce clashes between warring militias who are fighting over control of several vital facilities in the city including the airport, which has sustained heavy damage.

The country's second largest city Benghazi has also turned into a battlefield between army units loyal to Haftar and Islamist Ansar Al-Sharia militia.