(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Ten Government of National Accord (GNA) soldiers were killed and 45 wounded in heavy clashes with ISIS militants on Wednesday close to ISIS stronghold Sirte.
Earlier on Wednesday, Operation Strong Foundation (Albinyan Almarsos) troops said that they were able to take full control of the Al Khaleej Power Plant, which is 15 kilometres west of Sirte, in a battle against ISIS militants which killed three soldiers and wounded 10.
The operation room’s Facebook page issued a statement that the wounded soldiers were taken to the hospital in Misrata and that the military dealt with four car bombs that day, and Libyan troops were able to set off two of the vehicles before they came near Libyan soldiers.
The Libyan military suffered their biggest loss of lives in Wednesday’s clashes with ISIS forces since 32 soldiers were killed two weeks ago in the regions of Buairat el-Hassun and Abu Grein.
The coastal city of Sirte, which once boasted a population of 80,000 people, has mostly been emptied of its residence since ISIS forces took control of the city last year. Mohamed al-Gasri, a spokesman for the Libyan military said that government forces wanted to give a chance for any residents left in the city to flee before the military entered Sirte.