Rival groups clash in Benghazi

(18 Nov 2015) After more than a year of intense fighting against Islamist militias in Libya's former capital, volunteer forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar continue to engage their opponents at close range. Leithi is a key battleground in Benghazi. There, volunteers allied to Haftar's so-called Libyan National Army say they have pledged their lives to ousting Islamists from the city. Many of the volunteers are young men and teenagers from the area. One volunteer fighter said it was after his brothers were targeted by the Islamists, that he decided to take up arms. The Islamist militias have strived for power in Benghazi since the country descended into fighting following the revolution that ousted former President Moammar Gadhafi. Many of Libya's Islamists have expressed sympathies, if not an outright alliance, with the Islamic State. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...