A coalition of armed groups has overrun a major Libyan army base held by allies of a renegade general in the eastern city of Benghazi. Special forces troops of the Saiqa brigade, loyal to Khalifa Haftar, abandoned their base in southeast Benghazi on Tuesday after coming under attack, military officials and residents said. “We have withdrawn from the army base after heavy shelling,” Saiqa official Fadel al-Hassi told Reuters. The battle killed at least 30 people, according to agency reports. We have withdrawn from the army base after heavy shelling. Saiqa special forces official Fadel al-Hassi. Benghazi has suffered months-long battles between militias and forces allied with Haftar, who launched a campaign aimed at crushing what he calls “terrorists” and “extremists” including Ansar al-Sharia. According to the official Twitter account of Ansar, a group inspired by al-Qaeda and dominant in Benghazi, said it had taken over the base. In the fighting, a jet crashed after Haftar’s […]