VICE News: On the Frontline of the Battle Against Islamic State, Libyan Fighters Face a Vicious Enemy
It's been more than a year since Islamic State fighters consolidated their brutal rule over the coastal city of Sirte and the Libyan desert beyond, establishing their first foothold outside their so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq. Now, they might be on the verge of losing it, to a coalition of Libyan armed groups backed by Western nations — but they are putting up a vicious fight.
The hometown of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who fell in 2011 in a revolution followed by a war that hasn't stopped since, lies halfway between the capital Tripoli and Misrata, home to the fighters leading the charge on Sirte. In a surprising series of rapid victories, Misratan and allied forces this past month have successfully pushed the militants on the defensive, back hundreds of kilometers, to the now-besieged city.
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WNU Editor: The UN backed government in Libya is confident that they will be able to defeat the Islamic State .... Libyans will defeat local Islamic State themselves: unity government PM (Reuters). What's my take .... there have been successes .... 'Islamic State' group pushed back in Syria, Libya (DW), but this is still going to be a long (and messy) war.
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