A Libyan military official denied on Saturday claims that extremists had fled Benghazi to the northeastern city of Derna. The army had blocked the road against terrorist groups that were present in Sidi Ekhribish, said Merhi al-Houti, who is affiliated with the forces of military commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar He denied allegations that those extremists had escaped to Derna. The region has been completely liberated from terrorist organizations, he stressed. The clashes there have ended, he added. A resident of Derna told Asharq Al-Awsat that a number of supporters of the so-called “Shura Council of the Derna Mujahedeen” drove around the city to fool the people into believing that the Benghazi fighters had arrived. He denied however that such fighters were present in the city. Special forces had announced on Wednesday that they had seized control of Sidi Ekhribish, putting an end to military operations there.