Libyan forces battling to oust Islamic State from Sirte say they have made significant advances, gaining control of a large convention centre previously used as a base by the jihadist group.
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Mattia Toaldo, a Libya expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the us mission in Sirte differed from the French presence in the eastern city of Benghazi, mainly because none of Libya’s feuding political factions would object to attempts to defeat the Islamic State.
Forces loyal to the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) launched the offensive in May, aiming to uproot IS from the coastal city.
In a statement issued by the Tobruk government on Tuesday, the eastern government called for the replacement of the UN’s envoy to Libya, Martin Kobler, who they said had “imposed” the leadership of the GNA upon the country, including Prime Minister-Designate Fayez Serraj.
The convention hall is a symbolic base in Sirte where the militants once held meetings and flew their black jihadist flag after they took control of the city a year ago.
Losing Sirte would be a major setback for the militants, already under pressure in Syria and Iraq. Isis said it had shot down the jet, killing the pilot, according to a website close to the jihadi group.
“These strikes are targeting key ISIL military infrastructure such as tanks, high-caliber weapons, and command and control nodes using precision ordnance”, Trowbridge said, using another acronym for ISIS.
Pro-government forces said they had lost contact with one aircraft.
“The Ouagadougou center is in our hands”, the operations center for pro-GNA forces said, referring to the Sirte conference center where IS had set up base.
And US Special Operations troops have been spotted on the ground in Sirte.
“Only regular units under the command of the Presidential Council will get an exemption from the arms embargo”, U.N. Libya envoy Martin Kobler told Reuters.
“The operation’s leaders held intensive meetings to prepare for the final and decisive battles to eradicate the Daesh gang from the city of Sirte”, they said in a statement.
Reda Issa, another spokesman for the pro-government forces, said jihadists still controlled residential neighbourhoods in Sirte next to the sea.
“These personnel will not be engaged in fighting [the Islamic State group, ]” said Henrietta Levin, a defense spokesperson.
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“The Government of National Accord must work with the National Oil Corporation to relaunch oil production in order to rebuild Libya’s economy”.
