At least 13 members of Libya’s army were killed by terrorists on Tuesday, an army spokesperson is reported to have said.
“Most of the soldiers were killed by landmines planted by terrorist organisations,” spokesperson Miloud al-Zawi told LANA, the official news agency of the internationally recognized government.
According to LANA, the soldiers were killed in different regions where there were conflicts, around the eastern city of Benghazi, where their forces were trying to advance.
Zawi however gave assurances that the security forces had “made advances and secured a major victory”.
He said that the army had managed to seize control of a military base, adding that battles will go on until the areas controlled by the terrorist groups are all liberated.
Libya has had two administrations since August 2014 when a militia alliance overran the capital and set up its own parliament in Tripoli while forcing the internationally recognized government to take refuge in Tobruk, in the eastern region of the country.
The oil-rich country descended into violence in 2011 after the ouster of long serving leader Muammar Gaddafi.
