BENGHAZI, Libya, (Reuters) – Libyan war planes yesterday sank one ship and attacked a second vessel near the eastern city of Benghazi, military spokesmen for the country’s internationally recognized government said on Monday.
There was no eyewitness report or independent confirmation for the strike near the town of Mareesa that was also reported by the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television network.
“The vessel was sunk because it had loaded fighters, weapons and ammunition to support terrorism in the eastern region,” air force spokesman Nasser al-Hassi said early on Monday.
Mohamed El Hejazi, a spokesman for Khalifa Haftar, top army commander of the official government based in eastern Libya, said the strike had also targeted a second vessel which had been carrying weapons in the same area.
A Reuters reporter had yesterday heard planes circling above Benghazi, which is about 20 km (12 miles) from Mareesa.
Tripoli-based state oil firm NOC has accused the eastern government of having three times bombed oil tankers that the eastern forces had said carried weapons and ammunition.
Libya is in chaos, with two governments and parliaments with their own armed forces fighting for control four years after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
The official government is based in the east since losing the capital a year ago to a rival group, which set up its own administration. Both have attacked each other with aircraft.
