The Libyan fighters, mainly from the western city of Misrata, captured on Wednesday the city’s sprawling convention center known as Ouagadougou, which IS had turned into its headquarters. On Aug. 1, the United States began air strikes to help them advance against militants encircled in the center of the Mediterranean coastal city.
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The forces reported that they had gained control of a large convention center used as a base by the insurgents.
Losing Sirte city would be a major setback for ISIL, already under pressure in Syria and Iraq.
Though these two governments are both UN-backed they don’t like one another, meaning early plans for a joint Western war are in an uncertain state. There are not now any plans for USA forces to conduct advice and assist operations for the Libyan forces, she added.
Their advance slowed as they approached its centre, and the forces, led by brigades from the city of Misrata, have suffered heavy casualties from Islamic State landmines and snipers.
Over the last 10 days, the militias have been supported by heavy U.S. airstrikes, using drones based in Jordan.
US warplanes have launched a series of airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in the city.
A fighter of Libyan forces allied with the United Nations -backed government fires a shell with Soviet made T-55 tank at Islamic State fighters in Sirte, Libya, August 2, 2016.
Khalifa said 16 pro-government fighters had been killed and more than 70 wounded since the last round of fighting began Wednesday morning.
“The battle for Sirte has reached its final phase, after the successful offensive by our heroes”, a spokesman for the forces, General Mohamad Ghassri, said Thursday in remarks carried by the LANA news agency. Most of the casualties were caused by sniper fire and a suicide bombing, in which the bomber rammed a auto into the Libyan fighters’ lines, he said.
The militant group took advantage of conflict between various factions of former rebels who emerged as powerbrokers after the fall of Gaddafi in 2011. The U.N. -backed government in Tripoli is the latest attempt to consolidate power and end the conflict.
The Pentagon announced last week it had started an air campaign in Sirte following a request for help from the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA).
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In December a year ago, the United Nations struck a deal to unify the country’s rival governments and created a third unity government led by Fayez Serraj, who still needs a crucial vote of confidence from the eastern-based parliament. “As long as they keep this low profile. the risks both for the U.S. and for the Libyan government are quite low”.
