Libya army clashes with Ansar al-Sharia

Tripoli. Nine people have been killed in clashes between the Libyan army and an Islamist militia in the restive city of Benghazi, officials say.Gunfire could be heard from the early hours of the morning and smoke was seen rising in part of the city.Casualties were reported among both the army and Ansar al-Sharia, an armed Islamist group suspected of killing US ambassador Christopher Stevens in 2012.The government has struggled to contain militias in control of parts of Libya.The BBC’s Rana Jawad in Tripoli says the latest fighting is seen as one of the most serious and direct confrontations between official forces and this militia.Ten days ago, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan called on all militias to leave the capital, Tripoli, after fatal clashes between militiamen and protesters. The militias took part in the uprising that led to the fall of Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but have been told by the interim government to disband or join the army by the end of the year.Reports from Libya’s second city early on Monday spoke of explosions and gunfire in the Ras Obeida area.The fighting erupted after a civilian was stopped at a checkpoint manned by Ansar al-Sharia because he was carrying a weapon, a military source told the BBC. The man was allegedly beaten, prompting a special forces unit to move in.