One rarely if ever has the chance to write something joyful about news from the Arab world, so let us take this opportunity to thank and celebrate the Libyans who drove Islamist militias out of Benghazi:

 Two Islamist militias in the eastern city of Darnah announced Saturday that they were disbanding, bowing to a wave of antimilitia anger that has swept parts of Libya since a deadly attack on an American diplomatic mission on Sept. 11.

A local political activist said that one of the militias, the Abu Salim Brigade, had surrendered several bases in the city. A second militia was also said to have agreed to disband, Reuters reported.

The announcements came a day after tens of thousands of protesters marched in Benghazi demanding the dissolution of militias formed during the revolt last year against Libya’s strongman, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Protesters stormed four bases in Benghazi, routing a rogue Islamist militia whose members were tied to the attack on the American mission, in which the American ambassador and three other Americans were killed.