TRIPOLI, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Four soldiers of the Libyan eastern-based army were injured in a suicide bombing attack in the eastern city of Darna, while another suicide attacker failed to reach his target, said a military source.
A suicide car bomber attacked a military force in central Darna, injuring the four soldiers, an officer in the army's operations chamber of Darna told Xinhua, later on Monday.
Another suicide bomber who tried to target a group of soldiers in the city's port was stopped before reaching his target, the officer added.
"The suicide bomber was driving a car bomb fast towards the port of Darna, trying to target the soldiers charged with securing the port.However, his car exploded before reaching our troops without causing casualties," the officer said.
"The terrorists trapped in the city rely on suicide attacks as the army forces are narrowing them down," the official said.
The eastern-based army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, is launching a military operation to take over Darna from the militants who control the coastal city.
The army has besieged Darna since 2015, demanding that the armed group of the Shura Council (Consultative Council) of the Mujahideen in Darna, a coalition of Islamist militias, leave.
The army accuses the armed group of being loyal to al-Qaida.
The army announced on Sunday that it has taken over more than 90 percent of Darna, expecting to have a full control of the city in the next few days.
