Of gunfire and bombs: Libyan forces battle Islamic State in Sirte
Forces loyal to Libya’s unity government said Sunday they had seized a building used by the Islamic State group to manufacture explosives in Sirte.
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Pieces of bricks fly off the wall as Islamic State fighters open fire at Libyan forces allied with the UN-backed government during a battle in Sirte, Libya on Sunday. Forces loyal to Libya’s unity government said Sunday they had seized a building used by the Islamic State group to manufacture explosives in its coastal stronghold. Reuters
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Fighters of Libyan forces allied with the UN-backed government fire weapons at Islamic State fighters during a battle in Sirte. The bomb factory is the largest to be captured by fighters allied with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) since they launched an operation to retake Sirte in May, the forces said on Facebook. They said the building was in the southeast of Sirte, the hometown of slain dictator Gaddafi which IS has controlled since June 2015. Reuters
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The Misrata’s brigades, at the front of the fight against Islamic State in Sirte, are backing PM Fayaz Seraj but, after losses in battle there, are in no mood for compromise with rivals and are growing frustrated with Tripoli. Reuters
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A fighter of Libyan forces runs for cover with another fighter while carrying a wounded fighter during a battle with Islamic State fighters in Sirte on Sunday. The fall of Sirte, 450 kilometres east of Tripoli, would be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq. The two-month battle for Sirte has killed around 280 pro-government fighters and wounded more than 1,500, according to medical sources at the unity forces’ command centre. Reuters
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The pro-GNA forces are mostly made up of militias from western Libya established during the 2011 revolt that overthrew Gaddafi. The GNA was the result of a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement struck in December, but it has yet to be endorsed by Libya’s elected parliament based in the country’s far east. Reuters
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A fighter of Libyan forces allied with the UN-backed government shows a disarmed antipersonnel mine planted by Islamic State fighters in Sirte. The UN Security Council last week endorsed plans to rid Libya of its chemical weapons and prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists like the Islamic State group. Reuters
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Britain and Russia have raised concerns that Libya’s chemical stockpile could fall into the hands of IS jihadists, who hold the key coastal city of Sirte and are active in other parts of the country. Reuters
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