Deadly clashes reported in Libya’s Benghazi

At least six people have been killed while 20 others have been wounded in clashes that took place in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, local sources told Al Jazeera.

The deadly clashes between rival armed groups occurred in al-Lithi, al-Hadaeq and al-Sabri, northeast and south of Benghazi, on Friday.

The reported deaths and injuries were of the forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar’s brigade.

Haftar’s forces launched an attempt to reach areas controlled by the Shura Council of Libyan Revolutionaries, an alliance of former anti-Gaddafi rebels, where they were met with resistance.

Haftar began a military campaign in May named “Operation Dignity” aimed to ‘end terrorism’ in Benghazi, in which he succeeded to gain control of several areas.

UN Political Dialogue

Libyan parties have agreed to hold a new round of political dialogue in Geneva next week, according to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.

The UNSMIL will host the the meeting, as it emphasized that the political dialogue process is Libyan-led, and the Mission’s facilitating role is to help in the search for common ground.

The agreement to hold the next round of dialogue was reached after intensive consultations with the parties by Bernardino Leon, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of UNSMIL, over the past several weeks.