The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper quoted an informed source in Benghazi as saying that Libyan army retired general Khakifa Haftar and some of his family have moved to Egypt.
Haftar, who attempted a military coup in Libya against the transitional authorities, had left military operations against Islamist fighters for months.
Haftar spokesman Mohamed Hegazy described the withdrawal of the National Army, led by Haftar, from Benghazi as a tactical move.
Medical sources, including the Libyan Red Crescent, have reportedly found 75 dead bodies believed to be from Haftar's forces on the outskirts of Benghazi.
Sources close to Haftar said pro-Haftar forces failed to keep their hold on Benghazi because of east Libyan tribes who answered the call of former President of the Transitional Council Mustafa Abdel Jalil to put an end to the fighting.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
