Local political conflicts in Libya are slowly transforming from a web of tribal and local militia conflicts, into a more binary conflict between local allies and ISIS. However, the consolidation of these alliances continue to be inhibited by deep political divisions, which have the potential of fragmenting unity against ISIS, fuelling its recruitment and expansion. In […]
Year: 2016
Action — 5 Jan 2016
The ISIS campaign to advance from Sirte to the ports in the oil crescent region has entered full swing with the 4 January attack on Sidra terminal. The attackers used two suicide trucks (VBIED’s), one destroying the main checkpoint to the terminal and the other in the airfield strip. The new ISIS offensive seems to […]
Western — 5 Jan 2016
Although ISIS do not control any oil ports yet, new reports suggest that British SAS Special Forces could be preparing to lead an international team to take back control of any oil fields which would fall under ISIS control. At present this seems infeasible, as the international community first needs the Government of National Accord […]
Other — 5 Jan 2016
In Ajdabiya, a statement published by the Ajdabiya Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council (ARSC) on 2 Jan denied that it has defected to IS, after its emir and a dozen of its members published a video last week pledging allegiance to the group last week. The statement said that the group photographed with a black IS banner […]
Anti — 5 Jan 2016
The ongoing IS attack on Sidra, while representing a grave local and international threat, also represents an important opportunity for the formation of a genuinely Libyan Anti-ISIS coalition… After the HoR-affiliated, Federalist-dominated PFG successfully pushed ISIS out of Sidra on Monday, the head of the force, Ibrahim Jadhran, issued a heated statement attacking Haftar, saying that he is the other side of the ISIS coin, implicitly accusing him of destabilizing Ajdabiya via the latest LNA offensive against local Islamist militias in the city.