- Title: Six Libyan forces fighters killed in Sirte ground attack in - field hospital
- Date: 2nd October 2016
- Summary: SIRTE, LIBYA (OCTOBER 2, 2016) (REUTERS) VEHICLE PULLING AWAY AS SMOKE RISES NEAR HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING VARIOUS OF SECURITY FORCES POSITIONED IN FRONT OF HOSPITAL AMBULANCES AND SECURITY FORCES OUTSIDE OF HOSPITAL INJURED MAN WALKING WITH CRUTCHES VARIOUS OF INJURED MAN WALKING WITH SECURITY FORCES TANK AND SECURITY FORCES IN FRONT OF HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS OUTSIDE OF HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF SOLDIER HOLDING OUT MIRROR TO SEE IF ATTACK IS COMING VARIOUS OF TANK APPROACHING VARIOUS OF TANK FIRING FIGHTERS STANDING BEHIND WALL AS SMOKE RISES VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING VARIOUS OF SHOTS BEING FIRED FROM BEHIND WALL TANK DRIVING AWAY AND SMOKE RISING VARIOUS OF TANK FIRING SHOTS FIGHTERS OUTSIDE OF HOSPITAL SHOTS BEING FIRED OUTSIDE OF HOSPITAL INJURED MAN LYING ON STRETCHER AT FIELD HOSPITAL INJURED AND MEDICS INSIDE FIELD HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR, MOHAMED AL-AGNAF, SAYING: "Thirteen fighters have been injured as a result of the clashes. Three people have also been killed, including one Italian [EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: REPORTEDLY DUTCH, NOT ITALIAN] journalist who was shot by an I.S. sniper." LIBYAN FLAGS, CALL TO PRAYER HEARD IN BACKGROUND TANK, TRUCK, LIBYAN FLAGS AND CALL TO PRAYER HEARD IN BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 17th October 2016 15:59
- Keywords: conflict Islamic State war fighting army islamist
- Location: SIRTE, LIBYA
- City: SIRTE, LIBYA
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA00152BAPTZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Libyan forces resumed a ground attack on Sunday (October 2) against Islamic State militants encircled in their former stronghold of Sirte, losing at least six of their fighters, according to a field hospital casualty list.
The list named six killed fighters, three of them from the city of Misrata.
Earlier in the day, doctor Mohamed al-Agnaf could only confirm three deaths, including that of a foreign journalist he believed to be Italian but the Libya Observer later reported Mirata Central Hospital as confirming the journalist was Dutch.
The forces also said that the bodies of at least 10 slain Islamic State militants had been counted. The report could not be verified.
Forces dominated by fighters from Misrata and aligned with Libya's United Nations-backed government, have been battling to capture Sirte for more than four months.
Supported since August 1 by United States air strikes, they have taken control of most of the city and have been besieging militants trapped in a thin residential strip near Sirte's seafront for several weeks.
Their advance has been slowed by Islamic State snipers, improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings in close quarter street battles. Occasional ground attacks are interspersed by rest periods that allow fighters to regroup and hospitals to clear casualties.
The Misrata-led forces said in a statement posted on social media that they had conducted air sorties in preparation for a ground offensive on Sunday in Sirte's neighbourhood Number Three.
As of Friday (September 30), the U.S. said it had carried out a total of 177 air strikes against Islamic State in Sirte. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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