After a newly formed, UN sanctioned group of forces began fighting back against ISIS in Libya close to a month ago, reports are stating that ISIS has lost control over the port city of Sirte.
In August of last year, two major incidents took place in both the port city of Benghazi and Sirte, which are 300 miles from each other.
Reuters reported on two militant groups who were exploiting the instability of the Libyan government being Majlis al-Shoura and Ansar al-Sharia who are part of the same group.
Ansar are the ones who are blamed by Washington for the killing of a U.S. ambassador in 2012 when they attacked a diplomatic compound there.
According to the report, this encouraged ISIS to get involved, but at the same time, there were also reports of ISIS soon after taking over the port city of Sirte.
In August of last year, the Inquisitr reported on the brutality of the terrorist group, stating that 12 people were beheaded and 22 local civilians, civilians who tried to fight back and were wounded, were executed and their bodies hung in the outskirts of the port city.
This can be verified by another report from The Express Tribune in Pakistan, which detailed the massacre of a few hundred people in Sirte, and other atrocities inflicted by ISIS.
Sources refer to the pleas of the internationally recognized government called The Council of Deputies for at least airstrikes to help push these militant groups and ISIS out, while they fought for power seized by the unrecognized National Salvation Government, who were getting the support of militia groups such as Majlis al-Shoura.
ISIS began to take over the coastal towns of Nawfiliyah and Ben Jawad near the port cities, but very recently, the militia forces loyal to the new UN backed government have taken back control of these cities.
Since Gaddafi was killed in the port city of Sirte, Lybia in 2011, there has been debate around how much of ISIS’s growing influence in the area falls on the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton, now that she’s the Democratic nominee for the presidency.
The fighting among the people there has been a major concern to the International community, and ISIS did not help improve the view of the dire situation in Libya.
In April, however, Reuters also reported that the National Salvation Government had stepped down in order for the new government, which combines both previous rivals, into one entity and are now referred to as the Government of National Accord (GNA).
It is those fighters loyal to that government who are also saying that they anticipate that they will beat ISIS in days rather than weeks.
The AhlulBayt News Agency reported on May 31 that fighters for the Petroleum Facilities Guard pushed ISIS out of Ben Jawad forcing them into Sirte against the Mediterranean Sea where naval fighters say the terrorist group will meet their end
Five square miles into the city center, the terrorist group is apparently pinned down and are laying traps, which indicates they will likely not be taken alive.
Libya’s Sirte struck by three Islamic State group bombings https://t.co/2kPwq4T0IA pic.twitter.com/Y2jPDgSK7Z
— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) June 12, 2016
At the same time U.S. led coalition forces have recently begun to take back ISIS controlled cities throughout Syria and Iraq, which the Inquisitr recently covered when tribal fighters, federal police, Iraqi troops and militias reportedly began to advance into Fallujah last week.
One recent report by al-Jazeera says that 12 former Gaddafi loyalists were found dead and the GNA are wanting to find out why after they were found innocent by their judicial system.
But the article also explains why forces feel they’ve got the upper hand on ISIL.
“ISIL used to have their own strategy, but not anymore. Now they’re very exhausted. We’re dealing with ISIL the same way we dealt with the previous regime,” Ali bin Gharbiya, a commander for GNA forces, told Al Jazeera.”
It would appear that thus far with ISIS losing their strongholds in these port cities that they have no where to go but into the desert.
[Image by Mohamed Ben Khalifa/AP Photo]
