Libya: Fighters Clash With Troops Defending Oil Sites

Dec 25, 2014 | New York Times
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Islamist militia fighters killed at least 22 soldiers on Thursday during a surprise attack in which they used speedboats in a bid to seize some of Libya’s main oil facilities, officials said. The fighters of the Libya Dawn militia attacked the port of Al Sidra, firing rockets from speedboats and setting an oil tank on fire, security officials said. Clashes also erupted in Surt, the officials said, but the militants were eventually repelled. The soldiers were from a battalion that is affiliated with the forces of a former general, Khalifa Hifter. General Hifter’s forces have been fighting alongside forces from the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani against Islamist militants who have seized control of several cities, including Tripoli, the capital.