Libyans hand over arms to army

Libyans turned over hundreds of weapons at collection points in the capital and the eastern city of Benghazi yesterday following rallies which called for disarmament and the disbanding of militias.
Colonel Hussein Abdullah Khalifa, overseeing the collection of weapons in Tripoli, said the initiative was galvanised by anti-militia rallies pressing for a united army which were held in Libya's two largest cities this month.
"We are astonished by the positive turn out," he said.
Tripoli campaign organiser Ziad Hadia told AFP that hundreds of people turned in "light, medium and heavy weapons as well as vast amounts of ammunition ."
In Benghazi, the army tallied some 730 light weapons, 200 hand grenades, 100 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, along with 20,000 assorted ammunition, an AFP journalist said.