Feature: Citizens in war-torn Benghazi wish a peaceful Eid al-Adha

Mohammad al-Bargathi, a senior Benghazi citizen, quoted a famous local poem verse while standing in front of a sheep market, preparing for the festival of Eid al-Adha.

The atmosphere for Muslims' traditional Eid al-Adha in this eastern Libyan city is not joyful, as sound of guns and warplanes bothers al-Bargathi's family a lot.

"This year, my country is full of sadness with the intensification of the battles waged by the Libyan armed forces in Benghazi against Islamic States Libyan branch, and extremist group Ansar al-Sharia, which has linked to al-Qaeda." al-Bargathi said.

Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011mass protests which toppled the country's former leader Muammar Gaddafi, is now engulfed in a endless war between Libya's National Army and extremist militants who have been using it as a recruitment and training camp.

Though the national army is gaining ground in some districts through dozens of campaigns, it has not totally wiped out the strongholds of the militants.

The war and sporadic but lethal clashes have become a daily routine for Benghazi citizens.

On Tuesday, two days before the festival, war planes of the Libya Air Force targeted al-Sabri, Allaiti in central Benghazi, as well as the outskirts al-Hawari, Sidi Faraj, and Bo'ati, pounding the extremist-held areas.

Al-Bargathi said his family is lucky compared with those war-displaced people around Benghazi, as he could at least afford a 500-denar (about 200 U.S. dollars) sheep and no family member has died because of the war.

There is no official statistics on the number of people who have been forced to abandon their homes due to the war. The UN Support Mission in Libya estimated that 115,000 families have been displaced all over Libya, of which 71 percent were from Benghazi. At least 1,200 people have been killed in clashes and terror attacks since May, 2014.

Fakhri al-Ferjany was one of the displaced. He fled his wrecked home in one of the major combat zones of the city.

"It is true we fled our homes and are now receiving Adha with sadness, given the fact that we paid rent instead of buying Adha sheep, but we have faith that our country will recover."

Abdul Nabi al-Ralake, chairman of the Crisis Committee of Benghazi, said the conflicts have forced most schools to close for long and the displaced people are facing humanitarian crises due to lack of social care, some in poor health conditions.

"We formed medical and psychological support teams. These teams are working independently for free. But the fact is that these families had been living a decent life in their homes and now they are undergoing harsh conditions forced live in schools. They struggle and wait for anyone to provide them with some sustenance." al-Ralake said.

Some military vehicles carrying lamb are seen roaming the streets in Benghazi in the early hours on Thursday. It's the traditional food during the Adha for the families of army soldiers and volunteers who were killed during the army's battles with extremist groups.

Anis Katani said it's a comforting and generous gesture from the national army. Katani's brother, Mohammed Katani, was killed in combat near the city's international airport, which is sometimes under siege and heavy artillery fire by extremist militants.

"By doing this, they made us feel that Muhammad is still among us, and confirmed that his blood will not be wasted." Katani said.

Katani said that he hoped the army can give the terrorists a powerful blow, so the next Eid al-Adha will be a peaceful one. Endit