19 killed as army fight militants in Libya's Benghazi

At least 19 people, mostly army soldiers, were killed Monday in clashes with Islamist militants in the eastern Benghazi city, a medical source has said. "The dead bodies of 13 army soldiers and three local vigilantes were admitted to hospital," the source with the Benghazi Hospital told The Anadolu Agency. Three army soldiers were also killed and admitted to Al-Galaa hospital in the troubled city, according to a hospital source. The medical source said that 50 soldiers were also injured in the clashes, expecting the death toll to rise as many of the injured are in a serious condition. No information is yet available about casualties among the militants. Army troops loyal to the Tobruk-based government on Monday launched a military campaign to clear Al-Leithi district in Benghazi from militants. Libya has remained in a state of turmoil since a bloody uprising ended the decades-long rule of strongman Muammar Gaddafi in late 2011. Since then, the country's stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government, each with its own institutions and military capacities. Vying for legislative authority are the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and the Islamist-led General National Congress, which convenes in Tripoli. The two assemblies support two rival governments respectively headquartered in the two cities.