- Title: Libyan forces take to the sea to fight Islamic State in Sirte
- Date: 6th October 2016
- Summary: SIRTE, LIBYA (OCTOBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) COAST GUARDS ON BOAT LOGO ON BOAT READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH "LIBYAN COAST GUARD" LIBYAN FIGHTER ON BOAT, WARSHIP SEEN IN DISTANCE VARIOUS OF WARSHIP LIBYAN FLAGS ON WARSHIP COAST GUARD BOAT, WITH FIGHTER ON BOARD, SAILING NEXT TO WARSHIP VARIOUS OF LIBYAN FIGHTERS INSIDE BRIDGE OF WARSHIP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF MISRATA COAST GUARD, OMAR ALY, SAYING: "We're running a patrol near the area that's under siege by the group that calls itself Islamic State. They're currently under siege between a residential areas called 600 Giza Bahreya, known as Kawm al-Kalba - and now we're running a patrol near those two fronts of the war." VARIOUS OF OMAR ALI IN BRIDGE OF WARSHIP VARIOUS OF COAST GUARD PEERING THROUGH BINOCULARS ON WARSHIP VARIOUS OF COAST GUARD INSIDE BRIDGE OF WARSHIP MORE OF BRIDGE OF WARSHIP VARIOUS OF LIBYAN FLAGS ON WARSHIP VARIOUS OF WEAPONRY ON WARSHIP VARIOUS OF OMAR ALI LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS, LEANING ON GUN VARIOUS OF LIBYAN FIGHTER WITH MACHINE GUN ON BOARD SHIP, ANOTHER FIGHTER LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING FROM DISTANCE VARIOUS OF BUILDINGS SEEN FROM DISTANCE
- Embargoed: 21st October 2016 18:50
- Keywords: Libya security Sirte
- Location: SIRTE, LIBYA
- City: SIRTE, LIBYA
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
- Reuters ID: LVA00152VCYFB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A ship carrying Libyan forces allied with the UN-backed government patrolled the area surrounding Sirte's third neighbourhood on Thursday (October 6), where a battle with Islamic State is still ongoing.
The warship is running patrols around the clock to support the ground forces fighting Islamic State militants.
Islamic State controls a residential strip less than 1 Km long in their former stronghold in Libya's Sirte, where pro-government forces backed by U.S. air strikes are advancing building by building to finish a five-month-old campaign.
Over the past two days, forces led by brigades from Misrata have pressed further into Sirte's neighbourhood Number Three as an intensified aerial bombardment and a barrage of tank fire slowly dislodged militant sniper positions.
Militants were clinging to an area called Manara, a sub- district that if ceded, Misrata commanders said, would leave them exposed to defeat in what was once the group's main base outside territory controlled in Iraq and Syria.
Omar Aly, a member of the Misrata coast guard helping the Libyan forces, said:
"We're running a patrol near the area that's under siege by the group that calls itself Islamic State. They're currently under siege between a residential areas called 600 Giza Bahreya, known as Kawm al-Kalba - and now we're running a patrol near those two fronts of the war."
The ship patrols about 5 kilometres off the coast.
Losing control of Sirte is a major blow for Islamic State, depriving it of the only city it held in North Africa. The jihadist group is also on the defensive against U.S.-backed campaigns in Iraq and Syria.
Victory for the Misrata-led forces would also provide a boost for a U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) that nominally commands them from Tripoli. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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