Television aired images of soldiers in recaptured areas waving flags and flashing victory signs.
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USA -backed Libyan militias say they have taken over the headquarters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Sirte, the militants’ final bastion in Libya.
At least three fighters were killed and several others wounded, he said.
American troops are operating out of a joint operations center established on the city’s outskirts and their role is only limited to supporting pro-government forces, said U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the Pentagon has not announced the deployment publicly. The pro-government forces have had 16 dead since the last round of fighting started on Wednesday morning and more than 70 wounded, mostly by sniper fire and a suicide vehicle bombing.
The United States Department of Defense, Pentagon, confirmed, on Wednesday morning, the circulating news about the existence of American forces in Libya to participate in the efforts of fighting the Islamic State (IS) group in Sirte.
The Libyan forces were assisted by US special operations personnel, who have been inching closer to the front line of the battle for Sirte, a longtime ISIS stronghold in the north African country.
According to Libyan militia officials, the arrival of the Americans and British near the front line prepares for a significant push into Islamic State territory.
US-backed Libyan militias say they have seized control of the headquarters of so-called Islamic State in Sirte. “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.
GNA chief Fayez Al Sarraj told Italy’s Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Wednesday that his government had asked only for “air strikes which must be very precise and limited in time and geographical scope”.
Renzi’s centre-left government has refused to confirm or deny reports that dozens of special forces have been deployed to help with demining and training pro-GNA forces.
Although the special operators have not directly engaged in combat, they are playing a support role assisting Libyan forces and guiding airstrikes against ISIS in the city. Earlier this year, USA defense officials estimated that there were as many as 6,000 ISIS fighters in Libya, crowded around Sirte, which sits on the country’s Mediterranean coast.
The Sirte gains come as Islamic State casualty figures mount in several countries.
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In addition to USA air strikes, Libyan brigades in Misrata and Sirte have been working with small teams of Western special forces who have provided intelligence and logistical support as well as strategic advice.
