Sirte offensive clears Libyan city of Islamic State fighters

(December 5) Several reports indicate that the Islamic State(IS) has been completely driven from their former stronghold of Sirte. The other day the group controlled only two blocks and about 50 buildings in the city.

The Guardian reports Rida Issa, spokesperson for the Misrata brigades, part of the BAM (Al Bunyan Al-Marsous) forces, as claiming that they had taken the last IS held buildings in the city. The Daily Star reports Issa as saying: "Our forces have total control of Sirte. Our forces saw Daesh (ISIS) totally collapse."

The announcement may be a bit premature. A tweet claims: "Spox of Media Ops of forces fighting IS n Sirte-Ahmed Hadia-denies to BBC that city completely fallen, tells me military ops ongoing #Libya". This is obviously a different spokesperson. Perhaps there are still mopping up operations going on. Another tweet reports a casualty: "One killed in sirt today from albunyanAli bin rajab. Wounded twice b4"

Another article claims that the BAM forces were close to securing the area where the IS had been holding out but that there were reports of continuing skirmishes. In 2015 the IS had taken control of Sirte and an area extending about 150 miles along the Mediterranean coastline. The BAM forces began an offensive to retake Sirte back in May. Since August 1st they have been aided by U.S. airstrikes, about 470 in all. There are also a small number of U.S. special forces helping out.

The article also notes BAM spokesperson Rida Issa as saying that BAM forces had taken control of all of the Ghiza Bahriya neighborhood where the IS forces had been holding out. However, it also said the statement could not be immediately verified and that there was no official announcement that Sirte had been taken. One field commander claimed there was still some fighting in Ghiza Bahriya.

Earlier 34 IS fighters had surrendered to Libyan forces including two senior commanders according to officials. Mohamed Lajnef a staff member of a local field hospital said six women and 2 children had also surrendered. He claimed the three BAM fighters had been killed and 17 wounded. Earlier, several women had carried out suicide attacks as they were granted safe passage.

While the defeat of the IS in Sirte will leave it without any permanent control of territory it is no doubt still present as sleeper cells in many areas of the country ready to engage in terror attacks. The fighting has taken a heavy toll on BAM forces mostly from Misrata brigades. More than 700 have been killed and over 3,200 wounded. Many of the brigades are anti-Haftar and may perhaps turn their attention to battle with his forces if necessary. There have been recent clashes in Tripoli as well and some of the brigade members may join to help out Islamist groups in conflict with other militia in Tripoli if clashes resume.

Islamic State in Libya controls only about two blocks and 50 buildings in Sirte

(December 2) The Pentagon claims that the Islamic State now only controls about two blocks and 50 buildings in the city of Sirte whereas they had once ruled the entire city and a considerable area in all directions surrounding it.

Captain Jeff Davis, Pentagon spokesperson said the remaining militants are persistent and fighting to the death. Their resistance is stubborn. He said: "This is ISIL's last stand in Sirte and they are fighting hard." The US began bombing support for the Sirte offensive at the first of August and have carried out 467 missions since then. TheUS Africa Command claims to have carried out three strikes near the city of Sirte on Thursday. The offensive is being led by the Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous (Solid Structure or BAM) mainly of brigades from the city of Misrata.

The BAM forces have rescued some civilians including women and children of late. However, a spokesperson for BAM claimed that several women blew themselves up recently killing four BAM soldiers who had granted them safe passage to leave buildings controlled by IS militants. 38 people were wounded. Reuters journalists saw one woman escorting 3 young children through an alley towards BAM forces. Shortly after the children had been driven away in an ambulance, the woman detonated explosives resulting in almost a dozen people being wounded. The IS has even retaken control of a row of buildings that had been destroyed in earlier fighting. The Libyan Gazette also reports on the female bombers.

US Special Envoy to Libya, Jonathan Winer, warned lawmakers at a hearing that many IS fighters who managed to escape fighting in Sirte and Benghazi have "gone underground, forming cells elsewhere in the country". Winer claimed further: "Daesh is continuing to regroup in other areas of Libya, the United States’ special envoy for Libya has warned. “We believe they are waiting for opportunities to engage in further attacks in Libya or its neighbours, and if possible to reassert [Daesh] geographically...The gains against [Daesh] are real. But they also could be reversible, if Libyans do not come together to participate in the Government of National Accord and to help it perform its work for the Libyan people and to unify against the common threat to all.” There is no sign of this happening at present. The offensive against Sirte was begun back in May. It slowed considerably once BAM entered the city of Sirte.

The Department of State's deputy counter-terrorism coordinator, Marie Richards, noted about the offensive: "They have made a great deal of progress, but the fight has been quite severe and the Libyan forces have taken a lot of casualties. We are very confident that in a short period they will be able to eliminate the threat coming out of Sirte." Echoing Winer, Richards said IS fighters would be dispersed throughout Libya and the US would be watching carefully to see where they go,

Islamic State still holding out in small area of Libyan city of Sirte

In spite of a prolonged offensive started back in May and help from US bombing raids, the Islamic State continues to hold a small area of Sirte Libya, their former stronghold.

Forces from Al Bunyan Al Marsous (Solid Structure or BAM) are again making advances into the small area still held by the Islamic State (IS). BAM forces have been supported by US airstrikes since August 1 in an operation called Odyssey Lightning. The operation has been extended through October. There were also airstrikes by GNA planes as well as fire from tanks.

Last Sunday alone the US carried out 20 airstrikes. Pentagon spokesperson, Captain Jeff Davis said: "Every one of the strikes we do is based on a request from them, and we are down now into the last, densest part of the city. As they get to the dense areas, it's very hard to take out these sniper positions with anything other than air strikes." Since it began its operation US warplanes, drones and helicopters have carried out more than 200 strikes. Many of the strikes are launched from the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship just off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranian.

The militants are holding out in an area called Manara. Once this area is cleared, Misrata commanders said that the IS fighters would be defeated. Mohamed Al-Ghasri a spokesperson for BAM said: “This is the end for them. They have no other solutions, so that’s why they are fighting fiercely to stay in Manara.” The IS now controls a strip that is less than a kilometer long. However, weeks ago the final push against the IS was announced. The Sirte offensive so far has killed more than 450 BAM fighters and wounded about 2,500 more.

Somewhat surprisingly, a senior military officer from Misrata was critical of the US airstrikes claiming their aim is to prolong the offensive against the IS in the city. Spokesperson for Misrata Military Council Brigadier Ibrahim Bait Al-Mal said on TV: “The airstrikes were useless and inaccurate and their aim is clear to all, We can go without the US airstrikes from the beginning, but the government wants an endless war with limited airstrikes.” Al-Mal said that the US could through bombing end the battle within 48 hours. While this may be true it would involve horrendous civilian casualties and destruction. The air strikes happen on the order of BAM forces apparently, who do not want a huge number of civilian casulaties. They have themselves decided for pauses in the battle after suffering heavy casualties. Without the airstrikes and the help of a few special forces on the ground from the UK and the US, casualties would probably be much higher and the offensive less advanced. A more common complaint of those on the ground is that the bombings did not come sooner and some have expressed thanks for the support of the bombings and the special forces. Al-Mal provides no evidence that the strikes prolong the offensive. Pointing out that the US could end the offensive sooner does not show that the actual bombing prolonged the offensive.