A security plan has been adopted to secure all parts of Benghazi and ensure the safety of its residents following the deterioration of security conditions in the city, Ministry of Interior in the interim government said Saturday.
In a statement, the ministry added that a high state of alert will be declared in the city, as crimes have spread in the recent period in Benghazi by “unknown entities seeking to scare citizens.”
“The new security plan will continue for three consecutive months with the encircling of the main city entrances and conducting night patrols across the city,” the Interior Ministry said.
Around 150 vehicles from the security directorates of Benghazi, al-Bayda, Marj, Tobruk, and Ajdabiya will participate in the security plan, as well as 30 other vehicles from the Internal Security Agency.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Interior and security forces held an extended meeting in Benghazi to set the security plan.
Political instability in Libya after the collapse of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime has led to the spread of organized crimes including smuggling of weapons and drugs alongside illegal migrants and terrorist groups through the lawless, vast deserts of Libya’s southern borders.
Hence, the United Nation Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) as well as several consulates, including the Italian consulate, closed their offices in Bengahzi due to lack of security.
