Five soldiers were killed in clashes between Libyan special forces and armed protesters in the eastern city of Benghazi, an military official said today.

"The clashes lasted from 2:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. but are over now," Colonel Mohammed Sharif, of the special forces in Benghazi, told Reuters.

"Five soldiers were killed."

It was not immediately clear who the protesters were and if any had been killed.

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