22-28 Nov: LNA Declares Oil Crescent Closed Military Zone Due to ISIS

Nov 28, 2017 | ISIS

Last week, the Libyan National Army (LNA) declared the Oil Crescent to be a closed military zone after a number of ISIS convoys were seen inside Harawah town, between Sirte and Sidra. However, on 26 November, al-Ghani oil field, which is in LNA controlled territory but has been closed since 2015 after an ISIS attack, was ransacked and buildings torched by unknown assailants.

According to recently released reports, the  LNA captured Anis Bualjieh Awami last month. Awami is an ISIS fighter who was pictured holding up the head of Abdulnabi al-Shargawi at the Ateeq Mosque in Derna on 3 June 2015. Awami was reportedly seized by an LNA unit last month from near his home in Derna. Awami was reportedly one of the ISIS guards at the execution but did not carry out the execution himself.  After ISIS was defeated by the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC), Awami was arrested before switching allegiance to the DMSC in 2016, leading to his release.

On 22 November, two bodies were recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent in Sirte, suspected to be ISIS fighters killed the year before.