The fighting has raged in Benghazi since 2014 when forces commanded by powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter began a campaign against militants there, including branches of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Amnesty feared that civilians caught in crossfire are facing mass punishment, under the pretext that they are supporters or sympathizers of the extremist Islamic militants. "Civilians should not be used as human shields, and those who wish to leave must be protected from arbitrary detention, torture or any other abuses," said Mughrabi.