Backed Libyan militias take over IS headquarters in Sirte

IS militants are encircled in the center of Sirte but still control several residential areas, and the Misrata-led brigades have previously found it hard to advance through neighborhoods in house-to-house fighting.

“The battle for Sirte has reached its final phase, after the successful offensive by our heroes”, said spokesman Gen. Mohamad Ghassri.

On Aug. 1, at the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord, the USA military conducted precision air strikes against ISIS targets in Sirte, Libya, to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat ISIS in its primary stronghold in Libya.

The Libyan government has set up joint operations rooms away from the frontlines as it seeks to remove DAESH from its Libyan stronghold in Sirte, according to the Pentagon.

Earlier Wednesday, the pro-government forces said that they had captured a key university complex just south of the militant group’s headquarters. On June 9, they entered the town held by IS for over a year. Eissa said they found explosives’ factories in areas they seized on Wednesday.

“Our forces are making progress in their attack against Daesh [Islamic State], and have recaptured the University of Sirte”, Issa said.

At least three fighters from the government-backed forces were killed and 11 injured, Mr Issa said, adding that he expected the toll to rise.

The pro-GNA operations centre said further United States raids were carried out on Wednesday but did not say how many. They were hampered by the strong resistance of the jihadists who fought back mainly using vehicle suicide bombings.

Isil are believed to control three residential areas and a complex of villas on the Mediterranean coast.

“The announcement of the liberation (of Sirte) will only be made once the entire city is liberated”, he told AFP. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. In 2015, Islamic State fighters took control of Sirte.

Details are still scant, and the officials quoted in the media on the matter insisted on anonymity, because officially the ground forces’ involvement in the war hasn’t been formally announced. “I asked only for United States air strikes which must be very precise and limited in time and geographical scope, always carried out in coordination with us”, he said. World powers said in May they were ready to consider this to help the GNA combat Islamic State, but much depends on its ability to show that arms will not end up in the wrong hands, from a Western point of view.

The government-supported operation, known as al-Bonyan al-Marsous, also said that it lost contact with one of its warplanes and the pilot.

Last month, Libyans protested against France’s military footprint in eastern Libya after the death of French troops revealed their presence there.

Libyan forces engaged in renewed clashes with Islamic State militants in Sirte on Thursday, a day after capturing a convention complex that had been a symbol of the militant group’s authority in the city.

“The worldwide support has made a big difference” in the battle against the Islamic State in Sirte, Khalifa said.

The birthplace of Gadhafi, Sirte is also where the Libyan dictator was killed by antigovernment militia fighters in 2011. Islamic State still controls several residential areas and the Misrata-led brigades have previously found it hard to advance through neighbourhoods in house-to-house fighting.

The new American operation in Sirte is the culmination of an extended, low-visibility mission in Libya by USA special operators, who established small outposts in recent months as part of an effort to build ties with friendly forces and increase American understanding of the complexities of political and militia factions.

Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland said Wednesday that the number and quality of Islamic State fighters is declining and could be as low as about 15,000.

Pro-GNA forces entered Sirte in June, but their advance slowed as IS hit back with sniper fire, suicide attacks and auto bombings.