Haftar forces in Libya tighten noose on Derna jihadists

Strongman Khalifa Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army said today it was tightening the noose on the last jihadist bastion in the country's east after breaking through the suburbs of Derna.

Haftar launched an offensive on May 7 to "liberate" the eastern coastal city, home to about 150,000 people and held by hardline fighters since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

"Army forces are steadily advancing on Derna to liberate it from the grip of terrorist groups," LNA spokesman General Ahmad al-Mesmari told AFP.

The LNA carried out "combat missions" and took control of fortified positions at the entrances of the city, he said.

Yesterday, the spokesman announced the death of the head of an LNA special forces unit, without specifying whether there had been other losses among