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Libyan Gazette Weekly News Digest 06/13: “Total Victory over ISIS in Sirte is Close”

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News Digest
June 13, 2016

Your top stories from the past week:

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War on ISIS:

ISIS Carries Out 3 Suicide Attacks Targeting Libyan Soldiers(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) ISIS militants carried out three suicide car bombs targeting Albinyan Almarsos (Operation Strong Foundation) forces on Sunday in the coastal city of Sirte. The operation room’s media bureau announced that one of the car bombs went off near a field hospital in the west of Sirte. Three people killed during the suicide attack on the …

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Seven People Killed in Benghazi Shellings(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Seven People Killed in Benghazi Shellings At least seven people were killed and eight wounded after shellings that took place in residential areas on Thursday and Friday in Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city. On Saturday, an official from a hospital in Benghazi said the civilian casualties happened on the frontlines, where General Khalifa Haftar’s forces …

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Unity Government Forces Recapture Sea Port in Sirte(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Albinyan Almarsos (Operation Strong Foundation) forces announced on Saturday that their troops took over Sirte’s seaport following heavy clashes with the ISIS militants, which killed two people and wounded at least eight. The operations room media bureau said that the air force carried out 6 airstrikes on ISIS locations in Sirte, including ISIS militants and …

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Three Killed, Including Two Children, in Airstrikes by Haftar’s Forces in Derna  (Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) General Khalifa Haftar’s Operation Volcano forces carried out airstrikes on Thursday in civilian populated area in the coastal city of Derna which killed three people, a mother and her two children, and wounded seven. While the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) has spent the day liberating ISIS from Sirte, Haftar’s forces have been …

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Top ISIS Commander Killed in Sirte(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Hamid Malouqa Al-Zliteni, a top ISIS commander known as the “Emir of ISIS,” was reportedly killed on Thursday, among other high ranking ISIS commanders, after heavy clashes with Operation Strong Foundation (Albinyan Almarsous) forces. In addition, five ISIS fighters who were captured by Government of National Accord (GNA) forces on Thursday said that three high …

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Operation Strong Foundation Forces to Liberate ISIS Held Sirte in Two Days(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Government of National Accord (GNA) forces announced on Thursday that Sirte will be liberated in two days after the Libyan army advanced to the centre of ISIS stronghold and the navy took full control of the coast. “The battle for Sirte has been won by our forces, the die is cast, ISIS militants have completely …

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Haftar Too Busy Waging War Against Derna and Benghazi Puts Battle Against ISIS in Sirte on Hold(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) While forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) have been busy battling to eradicate ISIS in Sirte, General Khalifa Haftar continues to dismiss calls to unify his forces in the fight against the extremist group, and instead is focusing on waging war against his enemies in Derna and Benghazi. The rogue general’s …

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GNA Forces Seize Two Military Camp in Sirte(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Operation Strong Foundation (Albinyan Almarsous) forces captured the Taqrift and the Al Jalet military camps in Sirte, as the Libyan army advanced further inside the ISIS stronghold on Wednesday. General Mohamed Al-Ghasri told the Associated Press that Libyan forces have also seized the Al-Gharibat bridge, which is a key bridge in Sirte and is where …

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GNA Forms Third Operation Room to Fight ISIS(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj announced the establishment of a third military operations room to combat ISIS in the coastal city Sabratha, which is 75 kilometres west of Tripoli. Mayor Hussein al-Thawadi welcomed the decision, and stated that it was an important step in establishing security and fighting against ISIS, reported Asharq Al-Awsat. Since December …

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Sarraj: Total Victory over ISIS in Sirte is Close(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) In an interview published last week by French newspaper Journal du Dimanche, Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj reiterated that his government would not be seeking international intervention and that his forces were close to gaining victory over ISIS in Sirte. “Total victory against ISIS in Sirte is near. We will be able to also take …

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GNA Forces Take Control of Al-Saadi Military Camp in Sirte(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Unity government forces took control of the Al-Saadi military camp in southern Sirte after heavy clashes with ISIS militants on Sunday, which killed three soldiers and wounded 20. The Al-Saadi military camp was former dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s third son’s military base before the 2011 Libyan uprising and is located along the Sirte-Jufra Road. The Libyan …

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Government:

Kobler: Libya Must Have Functioning Government To End Humanitarian Crisis(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) In a briefing during a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Monday, the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Martin Kobler said that the lack of a unified state authority in Libya is the cause of a “tragic” humanitarian situation in the country. “Over 6,000 families from Sirte alone …

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UN Seeking Assurances from GNA Over the Purchase of Weapons(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Unity government forces took control of the Al-Saadi military camp in southern Sirte after heavy clashes with ISIS militants on Sunday, which killed three soldiers and wounded 20. The Al-Saadi military camp was former dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s third son’s military base before the 2011 Libyan uprising and is located along the Sirte-Jufra Road. The Libyan …

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Migration

2,000 Migrants Rescued Off the Coast of Libya in a Single Day(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) In another busy day of rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, over 2,000 migrants were intercepted off the coast of Libya on Thursday. “The coast guards have coordinated 15 rescue operations, some 2,000 migrants are safe and sound,” said a spokesman for the Italian coast guard. In addition, more than 1000 migrants were rescued off …

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Sarraj: Returned Migrants from Europe “Cannot Live With Us(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag published on Sunday that Libya would not accept returned migrants from Europe. “We will not accept that the EU send back immigrants to us,” said Sarraj. “Europe needs to find ways to bring them back to their home countries. They cannot …

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ISIS Carries Out 3 Suicide Attacks Targeting Libyan Soldiers

Grand Mufti of Libya Calls on Libyan Army to Move on to Benghazi After Defeating ISIS