2 killed, 3 injured in clashes in Libya's Benghazi

TRIPOLI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least two soldiers were killed and three others injured in clashes between army forces and extremists on Monday in the Libyan eastern city of Benghazi.

"The military operations are continuing in Ekhrebish area. Two of our troops were killed and three others were wounded as a result of the clashes with terrorist fighters," Miloud Al-Zwai, spokesman of the army's special forces, told Xinhua.

"Information about the liberation of the last terrorist stronghold is not true," Al-Zwai added, stressing that the military operations would soon be concluded.

A military source told Xinhua on Saturday that conflicts between the Libyan eastern-based army and militants in Benghazi had killed 17 people in November.

Benghazi, Libya's second largest city and the birthplace of the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has witnessed a three-year war between the army led by General Khalifa Haftar and extremist groups.

Haftar announced earlier in June the taking over of the entire city of Benghazi and defeating the rival armed groups. However, some militants still remain in the city and mainly use landmines. Enditem