Cairo pledges support for AngloGold Ashanti to accelerate Sukari mine operations    New Egypt–European scientific cooperation programmes coming soon: EU ambassador    Egypt trains Palestinian police for future Gaza deployment as ceasefire tensions escalate    Giza master plan targets major hotel expansion to match Grand Egyptian Museum launch    Golden Pillars Developments unveils Swar project as part of EGP 15bn investment plan    Three kidnapped Egyptians released in Mali after government coordination    Egypt raises minimum, maximum insurance wage starting Jan 2026    Egypt's EMRA signs MoU with Xcalibur for nationwide mining survey    How to Combine PDF Files Quickly and Easily    Egypt's agricultural exports climb to 8.5m tons in 2025    Maternal, fetal health initiative screens over 3.6 million pregnant women    Ahl Masr Burn Hospital Concludes First Scientific Forum, Prepares for Expanded Second Edition in 2026    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    Egypt expands rollout of Universal Health Insurance    China invites Egypt to join African duty-free export scheme    Egypt calls for stronger Africa-Europe partnership at Luanda summit    Egypt begins 2nd round of parliamentary elections with 34.6m eligible voters    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt scraps parliamentary election results in 19 districts over violations    Egypt extends Ramses II Tokyo Exhibition as it draws 350k visitors to date    Egypt signs host agreement for Barcelona Convention COP24 in December    Al-Sisi urges probe into election events, says vote could be cancelled if necessary    Filmmakers, experts to discuss teen mental health at Cairo festival panel    Cairo International Film Festival to premiere 'Malaga Alley,' honour Khaled El Nabawy    Cairo hosts African Union's 5th Awareness Week on Post-Conflict Reconstruction on 19 Nov.    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches National Strategy for Rare Diseases at PHDC'25    Egypt adds trachoma elimination to health success track record: WHO    Grand Egyptian Museum welcomes over 12,000 visitors on seventh day    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Libyan Forces Edge Closer To Victory In Sirte
Published in Albawaba on 12 - 06 - 2016

Sky News joins fighters on the frontline of the battle against Islamic State in the crucial port city of Sirte, in Libya.
Commanders outside the besieged Islamic State stronghold of Sirte in Libya have told Sky News that the city could be liberated in the next few days.
Brigades of fighters from Misrata, who are loyal to the UN-backed unity government, have made significant advances over the last 20 days, killing many IS militants in the process.
At the main roundabout on the western side of Sirte, an IS flag - a symbol of cruelty - lies crumpled on the ground.
It is the same place where the terror group used to carry out public crucifixions.
Mohammed, a young fighter barely in his 20s, tells me that IS are not Muslims.
Fahim, who is aged in his 40s, agrees, adding that they have no place in Libya and Sirte will soon be free.
The men showed us the bodies of IS militants from Tunisia and Egypt. All of them were wearing suicide vests. They were killed before they could detonate their devices.
IS in Libya has now lost huge amounts of ground and is facing collapse inside the North African country, although experts say it will remain as an underground terror network.
After a month-long battle to take back the jihadist stronghold, IS leaders have fled into the desert - driven out by the Libyan unity government troops, helped by British and US experts.
On Saturday Libyan forces were fighting militants street by street in what they claimed was a final showdown.
A number of IS fighters remained holed up in the centre of the city - the birthplace of deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi - where they were said to have set booby traps.
But the battle against IS involves huge sacrifices, with more than 130 men killed so far. More than 500 have been injured in the offensive.
Five years after the Arab Spring and many of the fighters on the battlefield are angry at what their country has become.
Wisam Omar, who is from Tripoli, says that IS is being used by Egypt to destabilise Libya and keep it weak.
There is no evidence of that but it epitomises the anger and frustration many people are feeling in the face such chaos.
It is of course a sharp contrast to the jubilation and hope felt during the uprising in 2011, which saw the dictator Gaddafi overthrown.
He was captured and killed in Sirte but the political mayhem that has ensued has left Libya teetering on the edge of perpetual conflict.
Commander Mohamed Darrat tells me senior operatives from Iraq brought with them expertise in terror, exploiting the security vacuum of the post-Gaddafi years.
He also said that if IS is not dislodged from its base in Libya, Europe will also end up paying a heavy price.
"If we don't stop them they will travel to Europe which is very close and they will take their anger out on people there.
"It will be a catastrophe for the European countries ISIS's life is all about death."


Clic here to read the story from its source.