Alalam - Libya

At least seven people were killed and several wounded in an ISIS attack on the Libyan city of Benghazi on Sunday (18 December).

Medical and security officials in the area said the bomb blast targeted forces loyal to the eastern government in Libya.

A local medical source told Reuters that all the victims of the attack belonged to the Libyan National Army (LNA) – a self-styled force loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, who is leading a military campaign in Benghazi for over two years against ISIS terrorists and other opponents of the government.

The attack took place in the besieged district of Ganfouda, one of the last LNA-held areas resisting Islamist insurgency.

Earlier on Saturday (17 December), the LNA claimed that it had taken control of buildings along the seafront west of Ganfouda, encircling its opponents.

Ahmed al-Masmari, an LNA spokesman, said their troops killed 13 fighters from "terrorist groups" in Saturday's clashes.

At least three LNA soldiers were also killed in the fighting, the news agencyquoted security and medical officials as saying.

There were recent efforts to evacuate those who were trapped in the fighting in Ganfouda, but only small numbers of women and children and foreign workers have so far managed to leave the area.

The LNA spokesman said that as of Sunday, about 120 families still remained inside Ganfouda.

SA