6 Libyans killed in Benghazi battles

The raging fighting between forces loyal to Libyan retired Gen. Khalifa Haftar and Islamist gunmen downtown Benghazi claimed six lives on Friday.
Medics from the Libyan Red Crescent Society found the bodies of the six victims in Al-Sabri district and other parts of the city, a local medical source said, noting that four people were killed yesterday.
Spokesman of the Army's General Staff Col. Ahmad Al-Mesmari said the army gained grounds on all frontlines of the city, particularly the southeastern and the western frontlines.
Military warplanes launched several strikes on positions of the Islamic gunmen inside the city, he said, reaffirming the Army's resolve to continue the operations against what he called "terrorist groups." The regular troops, backed by Haftar's forces and the Air Force, have been trying to recapture the city from the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, since mid-October.
The fighting claimed at least 296 people from both sides and the residents of the city.
Meanwhile, governments of eight countries issued a joint statement voicing profound concern over the deepening political crisis and the deteriorating security in Libya.
The statement, signed by Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain and the US, regretted the escalation of violence since the Supreme Court of Libya ruled against the constitutionality of the parliament yesterday.
It urged both sides of the political divide to refrain from any actions that could fuel the conflict.
Source: KUNA