Three different military operation rooms have been set up to eradicate ISIS group from the coastal city of Sirte, as militants of the group expanded west and seized more towns around Sirte.
In Tripoli, two operation rooms were set up by the two rival governments following last week’s ISIS attack on Abugrein. The UN-proposed government formed a six-member operation room to lead the military operations against ISIS in the districts between Misrata and Sirte.
In decision number one for 2016, it said this room would only receive orders from the Commander in Chief of the Libyan Army, which is the Presidency Council according to Skhirat agreement. It also banned any force to launch any attack on Sirte without prior permission from the PC.
The PC’s operation room has named six revolutionary fighters from Misrata as field commanders, but two of them have already refused.
On the same day, the Salvation Government formed a 10-member military operation room under the name of (Sirte Liberation Operation Room). The room would be located in Abugrein and it would be tasked with organizing the military operations for Sirte battle.
Both governments have allied forces.
In the east, rogue General Khalifa Haftar has also formed a military room for Sirte liberation. Backed with Sudanese and Chadian rebel groups, his militias are now positioned in Maradah, south of Ras Lanuf, as they were denied access to Ajdabiya.
These militias have been accused of attempting to take over oil fields and ports in the oil crescent region instead of attacking Sirte by hiring rebel groups from Sudan and Chad, while Dignity Operation militias are busy over the control of Benghazi, which now has entered its second year, but still in vain. The move toward Sirte by Haftar’s foreign militias is seen as political opportunism.
Both military operations from the west are most likely to engage in fighting against Khalifa Haftar’s, in addition to ISIS militants.
Last week, ISIS militants launched suicide attacks west of Sirte and took control of the towns of Abugrein, Wadi Zamzam, Abu Nijaim, Qaddahiyah, Al-Washakah, and Buwayrat.
libyaobserver.ly
