Council on U.S.-Libya Relations delivers demining equipment to Libya's Benghazi

TRIPOLI, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- National Council on U.S.-Libya Relations on Saturday delivered demining equipment to the eastern city of Benghazi which is suffering from landmines planted by extremist groups.

"The municipality of Benghazi on Saturday received a number of demining equipment presented by the National Council on U.S.-Libya Relations. The equipment were immediately handed over to Benghazi's representative of the military engineering department," the municipal council of Benghazi said in a statement.

"This comes under the agreement signed in August by Chancellor Abdulrahman Alabbar, mayor of Benghazi, with the National Council on U.S.-Libya Relations regarding providing necessary assistance of equipment used in landmine detection, in order to reduce the risk and damage of mines in the city," the statement added.

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 taking over the entire city of Benghazi and defeating the rival armed groups, however, some militants still remain in the city and mainly use landmines. Enditem