ISIS in Action

Misratan-led al-Bunyan al-Marsus (BM) forces reportedly discovered the remains of 90 bodies 45 km south west of Sirte, apparently killed by the US airstrikes launched against ISIS cells on 19 January as a parting move by the Obama administration. The BM fighters reportedly captured two ‘terrorist’ suspects and killed four during the operation. Underground stores and camouflaged hideouts were also discovered.
Sirte is increasingly witnessing a breakdown of security due to widespread looting, burglary and theft of power cables in the city. On 26 January, tribal elders in Sirte accused BM forces (who led the operation against ISIS in the city) of looting the town and seizing local properties. They claim some BM units prevented Sirte residents from returning home by blocking the town’s entrance with sand barriers. The tribal elders also accused BM militias of plundering power cables from the 700 Residence areas to be shipped abroad via Misrata port.
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A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here.  To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here. To read the Eye on ISIS in Libya Team’s blog post about the actions of other jihadi actors, click here. And to read their explanation of the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here.
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