Libyan forces claim to have ousted Isis from final stronghold

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Libyan forces claim to have reached the centre of the coastal city of Sirte, Islamic State’s key stronghold, meaning the jihadi group may have lost all territorial control in the country.

The speed of the apparent rout of Isis after three weeks of heavy fighting is extraordinary given US intelligence was suggesting only two months ago that the group had 6,000 fighters in the city and was starting to pose a threat to neighbouring Tunisia.

“The armed forces entered Sirte. They are currently in the centre, where clashes continue with Daesh,” said Mohamad Ghassri, spokesman for the forces of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

“The operation will not last much longer. I think we’ll be able to announce the liberation of Sirte in two or three days,” he told AFP.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/09/libyan-forces-claim-ousted-isis-sirte-final-stronghold

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Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor and Chris Stephen in Tunis
Thursday 9 June 2016 22.11 BST

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Perhaps ISIS is less a threat there than thought, or they dispersed to form cells

around the country.
Hope it is the former. Libya deserves a bit of stability.

[Joe Chi Minh]

4. The 'unipolar' media of the 'sponsors' of Isis have always tried to build them up as

fearsome bogeymen. When I read the other day that they had been sent 60,00 new recruits, I said they nae doot included my Aunt Fanny, but a Russian lad, who always misreads my posts, somehow thought I was having a go at the Russians !

[Socal31]

2. They were probably called back to Syria and/or Iraq.

They are in the midst of losing Fallujah and Manjib, with Raqqa a possibility for this year.

Time to consolidate forces.

[maxsolomon]

3. Melting into the crowd rather than fighting

they'll start a bombing campaign in all likelihood. Or go south into the Sahel and joint that Islamic insurgency - the one that took over Timbuktu a couple years back. Moktar bel Moktar is the leader, IIRC.

Does Libya have a stark Sunni/Shia divide? Sorry but I don't know...

[Plucketeer]

5. Either way

it's heartening to hear that someone other than the USA can smite these evil bastards.

[Igel]

6. The official US policy was

"there is no military solution."

That's also the official UN stance.

Sadly, it's their stance in Syria and in Ukraine. And Georgia.

Also sadly, not everybody shares this particular POV. Meaning that others fairly consistently find military solutions.