A ring aligned with Khalifa Haftar's military command has been arrested in Benghazi for committing murder, Faraj Egaim, the chief of so-called “Special Tasks Force,” a militia group that worked under Khalifa Haftar's command, disclosed on Tuesday.

During a tribal meeting of Awaqir tribe in Benghazi, Egaim said his force had arrested the 15-memebr cell inside a villa in downtown Benghazi while plotting assassinations to a number of people, including him and Defense Minister designate of UN-proposed government Mihdi Baraghati.

"We seized guns with silencers with this ring, they have underground secret detention centers where torture is practiced, they are hiring 6 Bengalis to commit torture and cut off limbs of their victims," he revealed.

He added that this ring was monitoring movements of Defense Minister designate Mihdi Baraghati and his Awaqir tribe followers in preparation for their assassinations.

"We recorded 137 cases of murder committed by groups loyal of Haftar." He said.

He also revealed that a group of 18 members loyal of Khalifa Haftar were carrying out beheadings in Benghazi in the name of the army.

“We do not have an army, our military senior leaders are doing business with the ammunition and military equipment they have.” He told his fellow tribesmen, including Al-Barghathi.

He added that on top of all officials, Al-Thanni government’s Interior Minister and the Chief of Staff are the ones who are calling for storming into his buildings, pointing that the Chief of Staff, Abdulrazik Al-Nathory, asked him to close the case of the 48 million dinars robbery from Al-Wihda Bank in Benghazi, promising to make it up for him later, in a hint at the financial corruption of Dignity Operation leaders.

“I myself bought ammunition from Ajdabia, Al-Bayda, and Al-Maraj by 4 million dinars because the ammunition arrives at Haftar’s General Command and he obliges us to buy it from the senior leaders under his command.” He said.

Awaqir tribe and the command of Dignity Operation are at odds after the nomination of Mihdi Baraghati, a member of the tribe, for the position of Defense Minister in the UN-proposed government.

"Khalifa Haftar's military command wants a defense minister submissive to their will," Mihid Baraghati told the meeting.

Relations between both sides have deteriorated after the dissolution of 2 armed groups that were operating under Dignity Operation, both of them are from Awaqir tribe. The so-called Special Tasks Force, headed by Faraj Egaim, and Military Intelligence, headed by Salah Bulghaib, were branded as militias by Khalifa Haftar after taking Defense Minister-designate Mihdi Baraghati's side.

Dignity Operation started in May 2014 after a series of assassinations hit the city.

 

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