Fierce fighting between Islamists and a rogue libyan general killed 16 people in Benghazi on Monday, triggering fears of an all-out war as hospitals urged citizens to donate blood.
Officials at two hospitals in the eastern city, the birthplace of the NATO-backed uprising that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, said at least 11 soldiers and five civilians were killed, and 26 people wounded.
An air force commander said the clashes erupted when three Islamist groups, including Ansar al-Sharia, attacked a base of elite forces who support the renegade general, Khalifa Haftar. Images posted on the internet showed army assault helicopters firing missiles at suspected Islamist targets.
The fighting was the bloodiest since 76 people were killed in mid-May when Haftar unleashed an offensive dubbed “Operation Dignity” to purge libya of Islamists he brands “terrorists”. The hospitals in Benghazi appealed to people to donate blood and doctors called on combatants to spare the lives of civilians.