Fighters from Misrata move towards positions of Islamic State militants, near Sirte March 15, 2015. REUTERS/Goran TomasevicForces loyal to the Libyan UN-backed unity government an ‘Operation Al-Bunyan al-Marsus’ launched in May this year captured fresh territory in the city of Sirte.
According to Mohamed al-Ghasri, a spokesman for "Operation Al-Bunyan al-Marsus", the forces made significant gains against ISIL in Al-Kampo district of Sirte, the extremist’s last stronghold.
Libya’s unity government launched Operation Al-Bunyan al-Marsus early May with the aim of recapturing Sirte from ISIL which overran the coastal city last year.
By last month, pro-government forces had managed to battle and dislodge ISIl extremists from most part of Sirte leaving the militants holed up in the city’s Al-Jiza al-Bahariya neighborhood.
The operation spokesman (Al-Ghasri ) attributed the slow pace of the operation to the numerous mines and booby-traps set by ISIL in the city and the deployment of ISIL snipers on rooftops.
According to Al-Ghasri, three pro-government fighters were killed — along with six ISIL militants — in Monday’s fighting.
Al-Ghasri said pro-government forces had been supported by the Libyan air force, which, he said, "carried out five airstrikes on ISIL positions in Sirte while U.S. warplanes have conducted 20 airstrikes in the past three days concentrating on ISILin the Al-Jiza neighborhood.
