10 killed in clashes between Haftar-loyal fighters, militias in Benghazi

At least 10 people were killed on Saturday in Benghazi as heavy clashes reportedly broke out between forces loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar and Islamist fighters, according to media reports.

For several months, forces aligned with Haftar have been fighting Islamist militias, including Ansar al-Sharia, in the eastern Libyan city. This month, the militias have seized several army camps, Reuters reported.

Clashes erupted on Saturday as the militias, armed with grad rockets, made a push to seize the Benina area where Haftar's forces control a civilian and military airport. 

At least 10 soldiers from Haftar's forces were killed and 25 wounded, a medic told Reuters.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has grown increasingly unstable as rival militias have battled for control of strategic locations, including the country's oil ports.

Two rival parliaments - the House of Representative in Tobruk and the General National Council in Tripoli - now claim to be the country's legitimate government.

In the wake of months-long rumours that Egypt and Algeria planned to intervene in Libya, the US State Department told the New York Times last week that UAE and Egypt carried out bombing raids against Islamist forces in the country.

The UAE and Egypt have denied that they were involved in the raids, with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi promising not to interfere in Libya. 

This MEE video gives an overview of various militia and government movements since 2011.