" When I was there I didn ' t see any of the people use them . "
protests last year
Benghazi was the scene of deadly anti-militia
The demonstrators were demanding the brigade leave its premises , army spokesman Abdallah al- Shaafi told the BBC .
" There is a special force now that will be deployed ," he adds .
Spokesman for the army chief of staff Ali al-Sheikhi described the Libya Shield brigade as " a reserve force under the Libyan army ", speaking to Libya ' s Lana news agency .
He said an attack on the brigade " is considered an attack against a legal entity ".
The latest clashes are reminiscent of Benghazi ' s deadly anti-militia protests last year , says the BBC ' s Rana Jawad in Tripoli , when tens of thousands took to the streets to eject a number of armed groups that they blamed for the continuing lawlessness in the city .
This followed the deadly attack against the US consulate in Benghazi that killed four people , including US ambassador Chris Stevens .
Some officials condemned the attack on some of the largest brigades in the city , saying they were operating under the ministry of defence , our correspondent says .
Struggling to form its own professional army and police force , the new administration in Libya has often given the brigade licence to intervene in tribal conflicts .
However , residents consider the brigade to be an armed group operating outside the remit of the army .
Growing resentment towards armed militias was compounded after militiamen laid siege to various government ministries in Tripoli in April .
Former rebel fighters surrounded the foreign and justice ministries in the Libyan capital demanding the expulsion of officials who worked in the government during the Gaddafi era .
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