Two Libyan fighters killed in Daesh attack

BENGHAZI: Two fighters from forces commanded by Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar were killed and three wounded on Wednesday in an attack claimed by Daesh, a spokesman said.

The attack took place 60 km south of the eastern city of Ajdabiya, said Gen. Ahmad Al-Mesmari, spokesman for Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.

One fighter was beheaded, Gen. Mesmari said, noting the attack bore the hallmarks of Daesh.

The terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack soon after via its propaganda agency Amaq.

Authorities launched an investigation into the attack and were bidding to track down the perpetrators, Al-Mesmari said.

Despite the loss of its coastal stronghold of Sirte in December 2016, Daesh remains active in Libya.

The last attack the group claimed was on Oct. 4, when a suicide bomber killed four people at a judicial complex in the western city of Misrata.

Various terrorist groups including Daesh have exploited the chaos that has reigned in Libya since the downfall of dictator Muammar Qaddafi to gain a foothold in the country.

The country has two rival governments: A UN-backed one in the west and a rival administration backed by Haftar’s forces in the east.

Recently, month-long UN-backed talks aimed at bridging differences between the rival factions ended in Tunis with no discernable progress toward stabilizing the country and paving the way for elections.

Political and military fractures have left the country mired in conflict and the country’s economy in freefall. Rival parliaments and governments have vied for power.