"The Islamic State is losing ground around its stronghold in Sirte, Libya. Forces aligned with the UN-backed interim Libyan government claim to have captured key points near the city in the last three weeks. And the so-called “caliphate’s” fighters have been forced to defend their positions against a multi-pronged assault.
The offensive is led by Al Bunyan Al Marsoos (“Solid Structure”) operations room, which draws fighters from militias based in Misrata and is allied with Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA).
A spokesman for Al Bunyan Al Marsoos, Mohamed al Gasri, told the press earlier today that the
operation’s men had entered Sirte and they could capture the city within days. “We think that Sirte will be liberated within days, not weeks,” Gasri claimed, according to Reuters. “The Daesh (Islamic State) snipers are a concern to us because they shoot from long distances and that has hindered us in the battle inside the city.”
However, the situation inside Sirte itself is murky.
Al Bunyan Al Marsoos has provided regular updates on the fighting via social media, producing infographics and maps that highlight its advances. Some of these can be seen below.
The Islamic State has sought to counter these claims, releasing videos from some of the locations that Al Bunyan Al Marsoos says it has overrun.
For instance, on June 4, Al Bunyan Al Marsoos said its men had captured the Qardabiyyah Airport south of Sirte. Amaq News Agency, a propaganda arm of the Islamic State, quickly produced a video purportedly showing the same airport free of any rival forces. Similarly, Al Bunyan Al Marsoos posted an infographic highlighting its gains at a location known as the Saadi Brigade headquarters. In short order, Amaq released another clip claiming the area was still supposedly under the Islamic State’s control.
Al Bunyan Al Marsoos has continued to produce photos and videos from the seized areas in the days since.
In a telling move, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s loyalists have been forced to dispatch a large number of suicide bombers in an effort to stymie its adversaries’ advances.
According to Amaq, the Islamic State launched 10 “martyrdom operations” in Libya in May. Nine of the 10 were executed in and around Sirte. Interestingly, Amaq claimed only one suicide attack in Libya during the first four months of 2016." LWJ
The offensive is led by Al Bunyan Al Marsoos (“Solid Structure”) operations room, which draws fighters from militias based in Misrata and is allied with Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA).
A spokesman for Al Bunyan Al Marsoos, Mohamed al Gasri, told the press earlier today that the
However, the situation inside Sirte itself is murky.
Al Bunyan Al Marsoos has provided regular updates on the fighting via social media, producing infographics and maps that highlight its advances. Some of these can be seen below.
The Islamic State has sought to counter these claims, releasing videos from some of the locations that Al Bunyan Al Marsoos says it has overrun.
For instance, on June 4, Al Bunyan Al Marsoos said its men had captured the Qardabiyyah Airport south of Sirte. Amaq News Agency, a propaganda arm of the Islamic State, quickly produced a video purportedly showing the same airport free of any rival forces. Similarly, Al Bunyan Al Marsoos posted an infographic highlighting its gains at a location known as the Saadi Brigade headquarters. In short order, Amaq released another clip claiming the area was still supposedly under the Islamic State’s control.
Al Bunyan Al Marsoos has continued to produce photos and videos from the seized areas in the days since.
In a telling move, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s loyalists have been forced to dispatch a large number of suicide bombers in an effort to stymie its adversaries’ advances.
According to Amaq, the Islamic State launched 10 “martyrdom operations” in Libya in May. Nine of the 10 were executed in and around Sirte. Interestingly, Amaq claimed only one suicide attack in Libya during the first four months of 2016." LWJ
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