After thousands of protesters stormed the stronghold of a militant group, the Abu Slim Brigade has called an end to their activities and said they would dissolve and quit Derna, which is to the east of Benghazi. Derna city overlooks the Mediterranean and is considered an Islamist stronghold.
Over 30,000 protestors on Friday stormed and destroyed the headquarters of Ansar al-Sharia group forcing its members to flee. The Ansar al-Sharia is believed to have been the group involved in the murder of U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other diplomats on September 11.
Ansar al-Sharia in a statement on Saturday said it had moved its Benghazi bases maintain security in the city.
In typical mob mentality, protesters went berserk and clashed with the pro-government militia Sahaty Brigade believing them to be Islamists in which at least 11 people were reportedly killed, with six believed to be members of the group.
There has been growing discontent in Libya with support divided between private militias and militant groups. There were reports of confrontation between protesters and militiamen at one place, but the militants ultimately decided to quit rather than take up cudgels against the mob. Reports say anti-militia protesters have been keeping a watch on various groups in Derna for a number of day before the Benghazi storming.
Libya had promised U.S. that it would track down the killers of of Ambassador Stevens and three other diplomats on September 11. The diplomats were killed in a well-planned attack on the anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.
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