Anti — 17 February 2016

Feb 17, 2016 | Libyan actors

Aamaq, one of the ISIS media arms in Sirte, reported on the airstrikes that hit Sirte port on 15 February claiming they were carried out by the Libya Dawn faction from Misrata. The report also said the airstrikes hit farms south of Sirte in the area of al-Taweelah.

Misrata’s ‘Central Region Operation Room’ issued a circular announcing a blockade of the coastal road between Sirte and the area of ‘New Hisha/Abu Grein’ for an indefinite period, beginning 10 February. Local forces are continuing to mobilize from Misrata to fortify its eastern borders, in anticipation of an offensive against ISIS in the near-to-medium term. Some Misratan forces have reportedly already advanced past Abu Grein, setting up checkpoints on the road to Sirte.

In Tripoli, the Special Deterrent Force (SDF) affiliated with the General National Congress announced on 10 February that eight Tunisians were expelled from Libya for suspected ties to ISIS. The SDF also revealed that 14 families affliated with ISIS, mostly Tunisian & Sudanese, entered Libya with official Libyan national identity numbers.