Watch: Eastern Libya’s top terrorist group, 17 February Brigade, routed by national army


The Libyan National Army, led by Brigadier-General Khalifa Haftar, has overran the main base of the jihadist “17 February Martyrs Brigade”, based in the university district of Garyunis on the south-eastern outskirts of Benghazi, Libya’s second city.

The brigade is considered to be the largest and best armed militia in eastern Libya. It reputedly consists of between 1,500 and 3,500 terrorists and has a large collection of light and heavy weapons.

Together with at least two other jihadist groups, Ansar al-Sharia and the Rafallah al-Sahhati Brigade – an offshoot of the 17 February group – it is responsible for much of the terrorist activities in Benghazi, including assassinations of members of the armed forces, policemen, government officials and human rights and civil society activists. Some of its members are also believed to be fighting alongside Islamist cutthroats in Syria.

A video posted on Facebook on 24 October (see above) shows the militia’s base – confirmed by Nureddin Sabir, the editor of Redress Information & Analysis, as the 17 February Brigade’s headquarters – destroyed. The brigade’s jihadist black flag can be seen at the entrance to the base.

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