After years of assassinations, bombings and militia firefights, Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi finally feels safe again -- but security has come at a staggering cost. The city center lies in ruins, thousands of people remain displaced, and forces loyal to Khalifa Hifter, who now controls eastern Libya, have cracked down on dissent. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, File)BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — After years of assassinations, bombings and militia firefights, Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi finally feels safe again — but security has come at a heavy cost. But the city center lies in ruins, thousands remain displaced, and forces loyal to commander Khalifa Hifter, who now controls eastern Libya, have cracked down on dissent. Hifter’s forces “prohibit all the media and journalists who are not loyal to it, and thus totally curtail all civilian state aspects in eastern Libya,” it said.

Source: Libya Today May 21, 2019 06:00 UTC